Doors open on enhanced maritime safety
Each year seafarers die or are seriously injured by being crushed by powered watertight doors. A new training video has been released to raise awareness and teach safe practices.
Powered watertight doors are an important design feature fitted to many types of vessels to prevent progressive flooding. Usually made of steel and designed to withstand extreme pressures from flooding water, these doors close with a maximum force of up to two tons, which is easily enough to crush a person to death if they became trapped between the door and the bulkhead.
Loulla Mouzouris of training video suppliers Videotel Marine International said, ‘Our customers told us of some horrific cases involving powered watertight doors and also of instances where power cables or water pipes for fire fighting had become trapped in the doorways. Almost all accidents are avoidable. Crew can sometimes consider the procedures for passing through powered watertight doors safely to be excessive and time consuming, particularly when the doors are in frequent use.’
The video has been designed for group training sessions with a trainer though it can also be used for individual study. The package covers correct operating procedures, safety measures and SOLAS regulations.
Powered watertight doors can be found on a wide variety of vessels including cable carriers, seismic vessels and ro-ros. But although the distribution and type vary (so the training on how to operate them is ship and company specific) there are overall design and safety features common to all systems.
Made of heavy gauge steel, these doors are moved by hydraulic rams or powered by electric motors. They are regulated to take a minimum of 20 seconds and a maximum of 40 seconds to close but, if the door has not been opened fully, it could take as little as five to six seconds to close.
Serious accidents can happen when a person either attempts to save time by getting through the door while it is moving, doesn’t wait until the door is fully opened, or carries a load in both hands and doesn’t keep one hand on the controls. Further, accidents can be caused if a seaman trips and falls over so they can’t get out of the door area before it closes, goes through the door while it is being opened remotely from the bridge, or snags clothing or a large tool they are carrying, becoming trapped in the doorway.
As well as keeping ships watertight, some are also designated as fire doors and will close in the event of a fire, so everyone onboard should clearly understand the risks and how to operate them safely,
‘Powered Watertight Doors’ from Videotel covers correct operating procedures, safety measures and SOLAS (International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea) regulations.
