Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Dock Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Port staff cite design limits, recommend temporary measures after safety review of Tender Float 3
Summary
Port staff reported P&D Engineers found no code requiring continuous guardrails for Tender Float 3 (18-inch freeboard vs. 30-inch guardrail threshold), recommended temporary barriers and vessel boarding aids, and said operations staff had no reports of falls in five years.
Port staff told the Parks and Harbors Advisory Board on June 9 that a consultant review found no building- or safety-code requirement to install continuous guardrails on Tender Float 3, and recommended temporary measures and vessel-level boarding aids instead.
The speaker attributed to the director’s office summarized P&D Engineers’ written review, saying the closest applicable building-code requirement for guardrails applies when fall heights exceed 30 inches, while the float’s design freeboard measures about 18 inches. The presenter said, “based on my review of potential codes including building codes, OSHA, and ADA requirements … we’re not able to identify any code requirements mandating guardrails on the float,” and that temporary measures such as cones, stanchions or removable barriers during loading and unloading were acceptable provided they do not block access or vessel operations.
The presentation said vessel operators retain primary responsibility for safe passenger transfer and that operators could use short gangways or boarding aids to improve transitions. The presenter also reported staff had asked Craig Bisson, the port operations coordinator, whether he had heard of falls into the water at that location; according to the speaker Bisson said he had not in at least five years.
The board discussion did not record a motion or vote to require guardrails; instead, staff recommended using temporary controls and reminding operators of safe boarding practices. The record shows staff will continue to monitor operations and coordinate with P&D Engineers if conditions change.
The matter arose during new business under a tender‑float safety item; the board did not adopt a regulatory change at the meeting.
