The origin of lifeboat Lionel Lukin, a London coachbuilder, paved the way for the first purpose-built lifeboat. He designed the world’s first unsinkable boat and patented it on 2 November 1785. In 1784, he began experimenting with a Norwegian yawl, a type of sailing boat, to test his ‘unmergeable’ design. Lukin incorporated pockets of air…

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The origin of lifeboat

Lionel Lukin, a London coachbuilder, paved the way for the first purpose-built lifeboat. He designed the world’s first unsinkable boat and patented it on 2 November 1785.

In 1784, he began experimenting with a Norwegian yawl, a type of sailing boat, to test his ‘unmergeable’ design. Lukin incorporated pockets of air into watertight bulkheads (compartments). At the same time, he added buoyant gunwales (top sides of the boat) and used cork and other lightweight materials in the structure. He also included a false iron keel for extra weight to help keep the boat upright.

On January 29, 1790, Henry Greathead built the first boat specialized as a lifeboat, which was tested on the River Tyne in England. The design won a competition organized by the private Law House committee. But William Wouldhave and Lionel Lukin both claimed to be the inventors of the first lifeboat. Greathead’s boat.

The first self-righting design was developed by William Wouldhave. Self-righting designs were not deployed until the 1840s.

What is SOLAS and how does it improve on lifeboat design?

The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) is an international maritime treaty. It establishes the least safety measures in the construction, equipment, and operation of merchant ships.

IMO SOLAS 74, the last adopted revised convention of 1974, includes a number of regulations under different SOLAS chapters. It deals with safety precautions and safety procedures starting from the construction of the ship to real emergencies like – “Abandon Ship”. The convention is updated to meet the safety norms in the modern shipping industry from time to time.

Regulation 12 addresses the location of survival craft on a cargo ship (other than free-fall lifeboat). Regulation 13 to Regulation 17 details the stowage and necessary arrangements required for the lifeboat, life raft, marine evacuation system, recovery boat on the ship, and Man Overboard Operation.

Types of Lifeboats Used on Modern Ships

1) Open Lifeboat

As the name suggests, the open lifeboat has no roof and is normally propelled by manual power by using hand-propelled ores. Compression ignition engines may also be provided for propulsion purposes. However, open lifeboats are becoming obsolete now because of stringent safety norms, but one may find them on an older ship.

2) Closed lifeboat

Closed lifeboats are the most popular lifeboats that are used on ships. They are enclosed which saves the crew from seawater, strong wind, and rough weather. Moreover, watertight integrity is higher in this type of lifeboat and it can also get upright on its own if toppled over by waves.

The lifeboat can also be used as a SOLAS-approved rescue boat* by enhancing the launch and recovery operations.

3) Free fall lifeboat

A freefall lifeboat is similar to an enclosed lifeboat but the process of launching it is entirely different. They are aerodynamic in nature and thus the boat can penetrate the water without damaging the body when launched from the ship.

How do lifeboats become vital to offshore assets?

Emergency evacuations from an offshore facility can arise due to many causes and under a range of diverse and dangerous circumstances, not all of which can be seen before. A key objective is to avoid significant incidents escalating into major incidents. To achieve this goal, emergency evacuations require integrated, cross-discipline coordination and a portfolio of evacuation options.

Lifeboats are designed so that personnel may safely and efficiently abandon a ship or offshore facility in the case of an extreme or imminent disaster. Emergency evacuation from an oil and gas rig is primarily via a davit or free-fall lifeboat. However, in order to make provisions for personnel who cannot access the lifeboats during an emergency, an alternative means of evacuation is traditionally provided. Injuries and fatalities associated with traditional means of secondary evacuation have seen a rapid increase over the years, due to significantly higher elevations of oil and gas facility decks (80-120ft).

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History Of Rope Work The rope has been used since prehistoric times. It is used throughout construction, seafaring, exploration, sports, theatre, and communications. Many types of knots have been developed to fasten with rope, join ropes, and utilize rope to generate mechanical advantage. Pulleys can redirect the pulling force of a rope in another direction,…

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History Of Rope Work

The rope has been used since prehistoric times. It is used throughout construction, seafaring, exploration, sports, theatre, and communications. Many types of knots have been developed to fasten with rope, join ropes, and utilize rope to generate mechanical advantage. Pulleys can redirect the pulling force of a rope in another direction, multiply its lifting or pulling power, and distribute a load over multiple parts of the same rope to increase safety and decrease wear.

The ancient Egyptians were the first civilization to develop special tools to make rope. Egyptian rope dates to 4000 – 3500 BC and was generally made of water reed fibers. Other ropes in antiquity were made from fibers of date palms, flax, grass, papyrus, leather, or animal hair. The use of such ropes pulled by thousands of workers allowed the Egyptians to move the heavy stones required to build their monuments.

How Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA) formed?

IRATA was formed in the UK in the late 1980s. It was set up to solve maintenance challenges in the offshore oil and gas industry. Its formation was the result of an initiative of several leading companies, who had begun to use industrial rope access techniques, to provide a safe working environment for the industry.

The IRATA two-rope, fail-to-safe technique developed by IRATA is used in a wide range of repair, maintenance, inspection, and access work. Rope access methodology boasts an unrivaled safety record, short set-up and dismantling time, positive environmental benefits, and removes the need for invasive access equipment or disruption to a worksite.

What is the future of rope access?

With the rising demand for natural energy, wind turbines are being installed around the world. Thus, Rope access workers are in demand as they will be required to work in the high element of the wind turbines. Work such as repairing the spinner requires rope access knowledge. 

Legislation in health and safety and working at height are far stricter than in previous years. If a company fails to follow safety rules, it could tar its reputation. Seeking professional help from a qualified work-at-height company with a proven safety record will mitigate any potential safety risks.

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History of ballast on vessels In the earlier times, solid ballast such as sandbags, rocks, iron blocks were used to load onto the vessels once the cargo loading was completed. This method helped to maintain the stability of the ship and its seaworthiness. In the nineteenth century, cargo boats returning from Europe to North America…

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History of ballast on vessels

In the earlier times, solid ballast such as sandbags, rocks, iron blocks were used to load onto the vessels once the cargo loading was completed. This method helped to maintain the stability of the ship and its seaworthiness. In the nineteenth century, cargo boats returning from Europe to North America would carry quarried stone as ballast. They contribute to the architectural heritage of some east coast cities (for example Montreal), where this stone was used in building.

As soon steam-powered ships appeared during the modern industrial revolution, their design changed to a metal-hulled type. They started to carry water for the steam machine but also developed the use of water as stabilization ballast.

Today cargo vessels, such as tankers, bulk carriers, or container ships carry liquid ballast. It includes freshwater, saltwater, or brackish water in various ballast tanks. If the cargo vessel wishes to travel empty or partially empty to collect cargo, it must travel in ballast. It keeps the vessel in trim and keeps the propeller and rudder submerged. Typically, being “in ballast” will mean flooding the ballast tanks with seawater as ships get bigger in size. The cargo carried by the vessels varies from one port to another. Water ballast tanks are used to compensate for maintaining the trim and stability of the vessel for a safe sea passage.

Why is ballast water an issue?

The process of loading and unloading untreated ballast water poses a major threat to the environment. Ships become a medium for the transfer of organisms between ecosystems from one part of the world to another.

When ballast water is pumped into a ship many microscopic organisms and sediments can be introduced into a ship’s ballast tanks. These organisms include bacteria, microbes, small invertebrates, eggs, cysts, and larvae of various species. Many of these organisms can survive in a ship’s ballast tanks. When the ballast water is discharged, the organisms are released into new environments. If suitable conditions exist in the new environment into which they are released, these species can survive, reproduce, and become aquatic invasive species.

How ballast water treatment solve invasive species issues?

Ballast water treatment systems are used to maintain the balance of the marine ecosystem by filtering and disinfecting ballast water. Several technologies are used in ballast water treatment systems to avoid polluting seawater. As time has passed, companies are favoring chemical-free ways of treating ballast water. Thus, physical treatment is gaining importance.

The International Marine Organization (IMO) has imposed strict regulations to check potential harm to seawater. By checking on foreign toxic species such as pathogens, these regulations and their strict enforcement are making owners install ballast water treatment systems on ships.

A number of factors are taken into account for choosing a ballast water treatment system for a ship.

Some of the main factors taken into consideration are 

• 1) Effectiveness of ballast water organisms
• 2) Environment-friendliness
• 3) Safety of the crew
• 4) Cost-effectiveness
• 5) Ease of installation and operation
• 6) Space availability on board

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Back in the day, ships were made of wood. Cooking on board was a fire hazard. Therefore, a smaller structure called Galley was formed to ensure crew safety on the ship. Working on labor-intensive sailing ships meant crews burned more than 4,000 calories a day. Journals from 1943 show that British naval officers had the…

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Back in the day, ships were made of wood. Cooking on board was a fire hazard. Therefore, a smaller structure called Galley was formed to ensure crew safety on the ship. Working on labor-intensive sailing ships meant crews burned more than 4,000 calories a day. Journals from 1943 show that British naval officers had the option to undertake a six-week cookery course during the height of World War Two. They can learn to prepare dishes as diverse as beef casserole and steamed pudding.

Food was also important from a crew health standpoint. If the crew is not feeling well, they will be unable to perform their assigned duties. For a healthy, contented crew, a ship needs to equip with a galley, thoughtful chefs, good storage, and refrigeration facilities.

A galley is usually laid out in an efficient typical style with longitudinal units and overhead cabinets. This makes the best use of the usually limited space aboard ships. It also caters to the rolling and heaving nature of ships, making them more resistant to the effects of the movement of the ship. Equipment such as strengthened materials, boltable feet for deck attachment, rolling racks, and storm rails, and guide rails are made for the marine environment.

For this reason, galley stoves are often gimballed, so that the liquid in pans does not spill out. They are also commonly equipped with bars, preventing the cook from falling against the hot stove. Hot and cold food preparation lines consist of modular systems in different executions and standards. Modular galley systems ensure user-friendly, hygienic, compact, and flexible working spaces with high quality and capacity, but without unnecessary intermediate spaces.

Maritime Labour Convention law stipulates that there must be access to clean drinking water and that the food served should take into account cultural and religious sensitivities. Maintaining a healthy diet for the ship crew with good hygiene helps to prevent diseases and improve overall health.

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