Assessing the Safety Factors of Ship Berthing Operations

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the safety of ship berthing operations in port. Based on the features of ship's berthing operations and relevant literature, the Safety Factors (SFs) of ship berthing at docks are first investigated. A Safety Index (SI) with a Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) model is then proposed to assess those SFs from port marine pilots, by which port managers and ship carriers may make policies to improve ship berthing safety. To validate the model, berthing operations at Kaohsiung Port in Taiwan were empirically investigated. The results indicate the main safety factors affecting ship berthing at port docks are: working concentration, the condition of mooring lines, emergency response, port policy of improving business and berth length. Based on those results, the theoretical and managerial implications for ship berthing safety at dock are finally discussed.