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Bulletin: Guidance On Snap-Back Zones

The document provides guidance on snap-back zones from mooring lines and recommends that crews consider the entire mooring deck a potential snap-back zone. It advises displaying clear warning signage and producing a bird's eye view diagram of the deck to identify dangerous areas. Recent studies have shown snap-backs can occur unpredictably due to various factors like mooring configuration and line material. As a result, the guidance now dissuades specifically marking snap-back zones, as that could give crews a false sense of security. Ship owners should ensure risk assessments identify potential snap-back zones and inform crews of safety procedures.

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Bernard Soh Hong Kuan
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827 views2 pages

Bulletin: Guidance On Snap-Back Zones

The document provides guidance on snap-back zones from mooring lines and recommends that crews consider the entire mooring deck a potential snap-back zone. It advises displaying clear warning signage and producing a bird's eye view diagram of the deck to identify dangerous areas. Recent studies have shown snap-backs can occur unpredictably due to various factors like mooring configuration and line material. As a result, the guidance now dissuades specifically marking snap-back zones, as that could give crews a false sense of security. Ship owners should ensure risk assessments identify potential snap-back zones and inform crews of safety procedures.

Uploaded by

Bernard Soh Hong Kuan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

BULLETIN

Guidance on snap-back zones

The Club would like to bring to Members’ attention The latest version of the COSWP (2019 edition) has revised
the dangers of tensioned mooring lines and also its guidance on snap-back zones and now dissuades
highlight the concept of ‘snap-back’ zones. the marking of snap-back zones on the deck.

A snap-back is the sudden recoil of a mooring line as a result It recommends that the entire mooring deck should be
of its failure under tension. A snap-back zone on a mooring considered as a potential snap-back zone and clear visible
deck is the space where it is anticipated that the failed mooring signage must be displayed to warn the crew. It is also
line could recoil with great velocity, possibly resulting in recommended that a bird’s eye view of the mooring deck
injury or even death to crew present within this zone. is produced to identify potentially dangerous areas.
The diagram on the following page is an extract from the
Guidance and a review of the hazards associated with snap- COSWP (2015 edition) and gives an example of how the
backs are featured in industry publications such as the UK snap-back zone may be depicted on a mooring plan.
Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s Code of Safe Working
Practices for Merchant Seaman (COSWP). Members should ensure that appropriate risk assessments
are conducted on board their vessels to ensure potential
Until recently, this guidance recommended the marking snap-back zones are identified and the crew are made
of snap-back zones on the mooring deck around critical aware of these. This should include, but not be limited to,
points such as the warping drum, roller fairleads and the highlighting the safety procedures to be followed and also
pedestal rollers. The aim of these markings was to warn the regularly checking the condition of the mooring lines and
seafarers to avoid standing in these zones when mooring associated equipment such as stoppers.
lines were under tension.
It is also recommended that appropriate cautionary
However, recent studies have shown that the nature of signage is displayed close to the mooring deck entrance
snap-backs is more complex than initially perceived. highlighting the potential danger ahead.
This is due to various factors such as:
The Nautical Institute has recently published a case study
ƒ Mooring configurations
in its Mariners’ Alerting and Reporting Scheme (MARS)
ƒ The nature of the mooring line used with regard to regarding an incident which occurred during mooring
elasticity stations and is related to snap-back zones. You can read
ƒ Breaking strength which may influence the trajectory the case study here: Snap-back slipup.
of a parted mooring line.

Hence the marking of snap-back zones on the deck,


although convenient and simple, does not reflect the
actual complex snap-back zone and may lead the seafarer
into a false sense of security that they are safe as long as
they aren’t standing in the highlighted area.
BULLETIN
Guidance on snap-back zones

The diagram shows the potential area of danger (snap-back zone) when the spring line parts at the spring line
fairlead. The snap-back zone would be increased if both pedestal fairleads were used. (Swedish Accident Investi-
gation Authority Report S-95/11 Morraborg)

London Singapore
White Chapel Building, 2nd Floor 9 Temasek Boulevard
10 Whitechapel High Street Suntec Tower Two, #22–02
London E1 8QS Singapore 038989
T +44 207 488 0911 T +65 6593 0420
F +44 207 480 5806 F +65 6593 0449
E info@[Link] E info@[Link]

BULLETIN Guidance on snap-back zones The Club would like to bring to Members’ attention the dangers of tensioned mooring lin
BULLETIN Guidance on snap-back zones London White Chapel Building, 2nd Floor 10 Whitechapel High Street London E1 8QS T +4

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