Step 1 of 3•3 minutes read
Personal Safety
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Based on the risk assessment findings, appropriate control measures should be put into place to protect any personnel that may be affected by emergency towing operations. The risk assessment must consider the consequences of the failure of any element of the equipment as well as the potential for harm to the individuals involved.
Equipment used for towing should be adequately maintained and inspected before use, as during towing operations, excessive loads may be applied to ropes, wires, fairleads, bitts or connections.
All workers involved should be adequately briefed on their duties, and safety precautions should be taken. They should be equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE), including safety helmets and shoes.
Personnel should take extreme care to keep clear of bights of chains or ropes, and the “Snap-Back” Zones should take a line break.
To ensure personal safety when towing equipment is under load, personnel essential to the operation should, as far as possible, be able to stand in a protected position. Immediate action should be taken to reduce the load if signs of excessive strain appear in any part of the system.
Wherever practical, the person in charge should avoid getting involved with the physical operations to retain effective oversight. Good communication must be maintained between all members of the towing team. Other persons without involvement with the towing operations should always be clear of the area.
