The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) issued a Safety Alert on a Catastrophic failure of marine loading arm - Safety Alert (hse.gov.uk) at a UK terminal. Lack of lubrication led to a failure of the pivot and subsequent collapse of the Marine Loading Arm (MLA).
The Safety Alert includes several references such as SIGTTO/OCIMF Jetty Maintenance and Inspection Guide 2008 and OCIMF Design and Construction Specification for Marine Loading Arms 2019.
OCIMF is currently revising the Jetty Maintenance and Inspection Guide and will take into account immediate findings for inclusion into the revision of current guidance for MLAs.
Members should follow current guidance on the inspection and maintenance work for MLAs recommended by manufacturer and industry organisations. Taking on board key learnings from the incident OCIMF also provides the following additional guidance:
- Understand and identify all the key components of the arm, including inaccessible parts and subjected parts at risk of hidden corrosion.
- Ensure key components of the arm are properly maintained and assessed during inspections.
- All components that need to rotate should be properly lubricated, as the MLA is designed to freewheel with the vessel.
- Always consult with the OEM and other industry standards such as the OCIMF/SIGTTO Jetty Maintenance Inspection Guide when developing an equipment strategy for the MLA and other jetty equipment.
- Ensure personnel remain clear. Personnel should not stand beneath the MLA when maneuvering the equipment or when it is connected to the vessel.
For enquiries, contact Ricardo Martinez, OCIMF Engineering Adviser