Safety Alert: Cargo Operations with Vessels Alongside

Lessons for managing simultaneous operations alongside container vessels

United States Coast Guard Safety Alert 04-26 highlights the risks associated with conducting container operations when other vessels are positioned alongside a container ship. The alert follows incidents during 2025 at terminals in Los Angeles and Long Beach where containers unexpectedly fell overboard during cargo operations. In one incident, falling containers struck an emissions-control barge moored alongside the vessel, causing minor injury to a crew member and significant damage to the barge. In another, several containers narrowly missed a vessel operating alongside. Investigations remain ongoing.  The preliminary findings nevertheless identify important lessons for terminal and vessel operators as well as others involved in cargo handling activities.

Preliminary findings

• No established procedures for managing vessels positioned alongside during cargo operations.
• No formal planning tools or arrangements to account for the presence of vessels alongside.
• Reliance on informal or ad hoc communications between parties.
• Insufficient consideration of the risks posed by container operations to personnel and assets positioned alongside the working vessel.

Wider safety implications

The wider challenge of simultaneous operations has also been discussed in recent ICHCA Technical Panel meetings and was the subject of a ICHCA member enquiry concerning bunkering alongside a containership during cargo operations. Although separate and distinct from the incidents described by the US Coast Guard, discussion highlighted similar concerns regarding operational interfaces, communication arrangements and the potential exposure of personnel and support vessels to hazards arising from cargo handling activities.  Potential challenges include limited visibility of service vessels from shore and in the case of the largest cargo vessels even from on board as well as difficulties coordinating activities between multiple organisations and uncertainty regarding responsibility for managing interface risks.

These discussions indicate that the management of adjacent operations requires the same quality of planning and risk control as the primary cargo operation itself.

Organisations may wish to consider whether their

• Procedures clearly address the management of vessels positioned alongside during cargo operations
• Operational planning takes account of all personnel, vessels and equipment that may be exposed to cargo-handling risks
• Locations for vessels working alongside are assessed to minimise exposure to falling containers, lashing gear or other cargo-handling hazards
• Contingency arrangements are in place where relocation of the vessel alongside is not possible
• Pre-operation meetings include all relevant parties, including vessel representatives, terminal personnel and operators of vessels working alongside
• Communication protocols, responsibilities and escalation arrangements are clearly understood before cargo operations commence
• Changes affecting cargo handling, vessel stability or operational risk are communicated promptly to all affected parties
• Simultaneous operations involving bunkering, maintenance, survey work or other activities alongside are subject to appropriate risk assessment and coordination arrangements

A planning and coordination issue

The US Coast Guard’s preliminary findings indicate that these incidents were not simply a matter of communication between individuals. The more fundamental issue was the absence of formal procedures and planning arrangements to account for vessels positioned alongside during cargo operations.

The experiences discussed through ICHCA’s Technical Panel and member enquiries suggest that similar challenges may arise whenever simultaneous operations place personnel, support craft or other assets within the potential impact zone of cargo-handling activities. Whether involving bunker barges, emissions-control barges, service vessels or other craft operating alongside, effective risk management depends on identifying interface hazards before operations begin and ensuring that all parties share a common understanding of the controls to be applied.

While this alert relates specifically to vessels positioned alongside container ships, the broader lesson applies across many port and terminal activities where multiple operations occur in close proximity. Organisations should take an opportunity to review whether their planning, communication and coordination arrangements adequately identify and control interface risks before work starts.

ICHCA observation: Simultaneous operations risks may not only be created by a single unsafe act but also by gaps in planning between organisations. Activities that may appear routine when considered separately can create unrecognised hazards when conducted simultaneously. The presence of vessels alongside during cargo operations should therefore be actively considered during operational planning, risk assessment and coordination processes.

Checklist

Some ICHCA members use a bunker pre-transfer checklist that is completed by the person in charge before commencing transfer operations.  Examples of questions in such a checkist may include but are not limited to:

• Are adequate mooring lines in use and in good condition?
• Is the vessel securely moored and equipped with adequate fendering?
• If bunkering from shore, are shore personnel wearing full PPE?
• Are the hoses properly rigged and supported and in good condition?
• Do the connections have the correct gasket?
• Is an adequate drip tray provided under the connection?
• Are all unused connections properly blanked off?
• Are scuppers/drains of vessel/vehicle effectively plugged?
• Is firefighting equipment readily available on the vessel/vehicle?
• Is anti-pollution equipment readily available on vessel/vehicle?
• Have communications been tested and found satisfactory?
• Has a maximum pumping rate and pressure been agreed?
• Are all staff familiar with the procedure and product data?
• Have the transfer requirements been verbally agreed?
• Have cargo operations been suspended on adjacent cargo bays?
• Has the emergency shutdown procedure been agreed?
• Have all unused valves in the system been closed and tagged?
• Will a constant visual watch be maintained throughout the operation?
• Are no smoking regulations being observed?
• Can the vessel/vehicle move under its own power at all times?
• Are the appropriate international signals being displayed?
• Is safe access available between both vessel/vehicle(s)?
• Have you read and understood the Conditions for Bunkering Operations?

For the full Safety Alert for the link:  U.S. Coast Guard Safety Alert 04-26: Container Operations With Vessels Alongside