MAIB Issues Urgent Warning to Svitzer: Towline Breakages Have Become 'Normalized'

The Chief Inspector of the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) expressed concern in a warning letter sent to tug operator Svitzer about the normalization of towline breakages in the company's operations. The Chief Inspector emphasized that sudden snapback incidents pose serious risks to the crew.

Call for Review of Risk Management from MAIB

The warning was issued following a towline breakage incident in Bristol that caused damage to a Svitzer port tug and resulted in minor injuries to two crew members.

In July 2024, the towline used on the Svitzer Avon tug operating at the Royal Portbury Dock in Bristol broke after approximately 800 uses. The crew reused the broken line by swapping its ends. However, no tests were conducted to determine the remaining strength of the line to assess its suitability for safe use. The company's towline risk management policy relied on visual inspections and the practice of using the line in a reversed position to ensure safety.

Approximately six months later, on February 4, 2025, Svitzer Avon was assigned to assist the car carrier named Auto Eco. The operation also involved the Svitzer Brunel tug from the same fleet. Svitzer Avon departed the port shortly before 20:00. The standby captain on the tug was supervising the second captain on watch.

At around 20:03, the tug approached the stern of Auto Eco, and the crew passed the towline to the vessel. At this point, the line had been used approximately 300 times since its last reversal, bringing the total usage count to about 1,100.

After the towline was prepared, the tug positioned itself to provide braking force if necessary. The pilot gave Svitzer Avon the command of '25% straight back' around 20:09.

Towline Breakage and Injuries on Svitzer Avon

As Auto Eco approached the entrance to the dock, it began a turning maneuver. The second captain on Svitzer Avon maneuvered to maintain the stern position of the car carrier while it turned. However, due to excessive correction, the tug heeled over, and the towline became overloaded. Consequently, the line broke, snapping back and striking the tug's wheelhouse, shattering the windows. The broken glass struck the second captain and the watch captain, causing minor injuries.

After assessing that neither the second captain nor the watch captain had sustained serious injuries, they transferred their duties to the Svitzer Bristol tug to complete the berthing operation. After the vessel was safely berthed, the crew returned to the dock and received medical assistance.

MAIB had previously investigated a similar incident involving the Svitzer Mercurius tug in 2019 and recommended that the company conduct a comprehensive risk assessment across the fleet concerning injuries that could result from towline failures and snapback incidents. The investigation found that the tug's windows were not designed to withstand impacts from a towline and that the line broke at approximately half of its nominal breaking load.

Following the Svitzer Avon incident, the MAIB Chief Inspector requested that the company review its risk analysis and implement additional measures to minimize towline failures and reduce the risk of crew injuries in snapback situations.

MAIB also noted that Svitzer has formalized its training practices, started reviewing all towline breakage incidents occurring across the company, and made necessary arrangements to ensure that the appropriate line is used for each operation. Following these developments, the investigation was closed.

Source: SeaNews Türkiye