SAIPEM 7000

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Report: Damen Shiprepair did not consider risks enough ahead of fatal collision

The fatal collision between the 'Saipem 7000' and the drilling platform 'Noble Regina Allen' in the Botlek on Feb 21, 2024, has shown that the Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam did not sufficiently consider the risks of simultaneous operations, the Dutch Safety Board (OVV) has stated in its report on the accident. A lack of coordination, poor communication and the absence of structural safety measures contributed to the accident in which a 59-year-old Damen welder lost his life. During the docking manoever at the Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam shipyard in Botlek, the crane vessel went off course due to bad weather conditions, among other things. A welder was working on a scaffolding on the outside of the drilling platform at the time. He became trapped and fell into the water. Despite intense searches, the body of the deceased victim was not found until more than three weeks later. The risk management of complex operations at the Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam shipyard in Botlek must be improved. In particular, complex activities that are carried out simultaneously require a more in-depth approach to risk management. The shipyard must ensure that risks are clear and controlled. The parties that work together on complex activities must go through scenarios with each other in advance. In doing so, they must map out the risks that may occur and agree on options for action. Pilots must prepare themselves well for the safe execution of complex activities such as docking a crane ship. For example, they must continuously test assumptions with all parties involved and express their opinions on possible risks. The Regional Pilotage Corporation Rotterdam-Rijnmond is responsible for ensuring that pilots do indeed prepare themselves in this way. The Safety Board recommended, among other things, that the shipyard, the Regional Pilotage Corporation Rotterdam-Rijnmond and the ship owner consult with each other in advance for complex, simultaneous operations. This allows them to oversee all activities on the shipyard, explore possible risks, discuss different scenarios and make agreements about mutual communication. In complex operations on or near the Damen Ship Repair site, the shipyard has the ultimate responsibility for managing the risks, especially if work is taking place simultaneously. Together with the other parties involved in the preparations and execution of complex operations, the shipyard must gain insight into and manage the risks of those operations (individually and simultaneously). The other parties involved have a joint responsibility to ensure that this happens. This applies in particular if the parties deviate from the agreements made in advance for the execution of an operation, such as exceeding wind limits. The Safety Board therefore makes a recommendation to all parties together and to Damen, the Pilotage Corporation and Saipem separately. In a complex operation such as the docking of the 'Saipem 7000', the parties involved can achieve safety gains if they focus on their joint contribution to safety, speak to each other in advance and together, in order to oversee the whole of the various activities at the yard, explore possible risks, discuss various scenarios and make agreements about communication. Following this incident, Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam has already carried out a number of actions to improve safety (see Appendix B). These actions tie in well with lessons learned from this incident and are mainly focused on risk management during docking and undocking. In addition, it is important to pay attention to risk management of all complex operations that take place simultaneously at the yard. The Safety Board therefore makes the following additional recommendations. To the shipyard: Ensure a structured approach to risk management for operations that take place simultaneously on or near the shipyard and that can influence each other. Involve all relevant parties in risk management, both in the individual projects and in combination with each other. Also discuss the various scenarios that can arise and how these risks are dealt with. Record this approach. Make a joint reassessment with the parties involved of all risks that arise if there is a deviation from previously made agreements for carrying out simultaneous operations. Adjust the scenarios for risk management if necessary. Update and improve the Life-Saving Rules following this incident and have employees actively think about the implementation of this. Emphasize the importance of safety as a joint responsibility. In the Netherlands, a pilotage obligation applies on certain waterways. This pilotage obligation is fulfilled by one party, namely the registered pilots (except in the Scheldemonden region. Here, part of the pilotage obligation is fulfilled by the Flemish pilotage service). This monopoly position entails a strong responsibility to carry out the piloting and manoeuvring of ships as safely as possible. To this end, the Safety Board makes the following recommendations. To the Regional Pilotage Corporation Rotterdam-Rijnmond Based on the lessons learned from this incident (and then periodically), evaluate and improve the procedures in the Vademecum that must ensure proper preparation for a special transport, including the resources that are used. In doing so, ensure in any case that: – these procedures are known to the pilots and that they also comply with these procedures; – the available and most recent information is easily accessible to the pilots; – the pilots ensure that the parties involved (such as the shipyard and the captain) in the preparation and execution of complex operations also know what assessments and choices they are making, so that these parties can indicate where necessary if risks arise. Ensure that for voyages that are carried out by more than one pilot, the pilots concerned prepare and carry out the voyage together. To this end, they must: - be involved simultaneously in the preparation and have access to the same information; – be able to professionally address each other in the preparation (for example in simulation training) and during the execution of the operation, regarding risk management and make their assumptions explicit (for example by ‘thinking aloud’); – ensure effective use of NMS during the execution of complex operations. The client of a docking operation plays an important role in the way in which the risk management and execution of that operation takes place. That is why they make the following recommendation. To Saipem Ensure that the captain, his bridge team and the pilot(s) jointly make specific agreements about the execution of the docking operation so that everyone knows how the operation is carried out and what their task is. Record in the agreements: the division of tasks, the method of communication, different scenarios and how to deal with questions, doubts and ambiguities during the operation. Check with the shipyard to see if they understand the risks of a complex (simultaneous) operation such as the docking operation. Make this step part of the preparation for complex operations. Report with photo: Dutch Safety Board Calls for Change After Deadly Allision at Repair Yard

Crew had to stay on board due to case of coronavirus

The crew of about 300 aboard the 'Saipem 7000' had to remain on board in Eemshaven during the recent days because one of them was found to be infected with the corona virus. The infected man was taken to hospital on March 23, 2020. When it turned out that he had corona, it was decided in consultation with the GGD that no one was allowed on or off the ship. The man has now been released from the hospital. Because he had already isolated himself on board, the GGD did not consider it necessary to keep the rest of the crew on board any longer quarantined.

‘Saipem 7000′ semi-submersible at Damen Verolme Rotterdam for DPS upgrade

The Saipem 7000, one of the largest semi-submersible crane and pipelaying vessels in the world, has arrived at Damen Verolme Rotterdam (DVR) for a major upgrade of its current DP3 system to meet the new closed ring DP3 configuration and ABS EHS-P notation. Under DP3 EHS-P notation, the vessel will achieve an exceptional level of redundancy with 4 independent redundancy groups systems. The project will include the upgrade and modification of the vessel’s power system for load sharing, the installation of MV, LV and control cables, renewal of the MV and LV switchboards and the motor control centres, the installation of uninterrupted power supplies (UPS) and the creation of an A60 compartment. Detailed engineering is being executed by Damen Verolme Rotterdam in close cooperation with Saipem.