WHARF RISKS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2890, 30 September 1916, Page 15

WHARF RISKS

HANDLING OF CARGO COMPREHENSIVE REPORT A very full report was presented to the Harbour Board by the secretary and the engineer on the subject of tho handling of cargo at the wharves and tho complaints concerning it raised by a deputation from the Waterside AVorkers' Union at tho previous meeting. Following is the text of tho roport:— "Tho Marine Department, under tho powers of tlio Shipping and Seamen Act, 1908, has appointed inspectors who supervise gear and other appliances used in ships, and-who have power to regulate matters relating to the protection of life and proporty of passengers and others on board ships. These inspectors, however, have 110 power or control in connection with hulks. Under clause 205 of the Harbours Act, 1908, the Governor-in-Council is empowered; to make, regulations which shall be in force ill all ports of NewZealand, and such regulations shall bo carried out and enforced by all Harbour Boards. Regulations havo'beon mado as to lights and ladders in linlks, running-gear, gins, andi gin-tackle, andall other lifting gear in or on hulks shall be suitable for tho work for which' they are -used, and kept in good order and condition. Further regulations have also been gazetted: setting out how coal is to be transhipped or transferred frotn a hulk or other vessel to another vessel .or hulk, either by what is ■ called thp^'bull-rope' system or by the trolley system; hut there aro no regulations governing the landing of coal from' a vessel or hulk ashore, either into trucks or drays. The. Harbour Board's by-law No. 106 directs that 110 cargo, coal, or ballast shall bo embarked or shipped,, disembarked or unshipped, except in such order and modo as may be directed! and deemed expedient by the wharfinger for the proper working of any wharf, but wo do not think that this by-law can he construed to give power to the board's officers to control the . actual method of handling and landing cargo from hulks or' other vessels. At tho present time,', the board has 110 officer whoso duty it is to inspect the discharging appliances and mode of working of coal hulks, and vessels discharging'; coal ashore. The harbourmaster makes an inspection of the hulls and of such gear as is requisite for the safo mooring and moving of tho hulks. Machinery and all appliances for handling coal on hulks is inspected by the Government Inspector of Machinery annually. The manner of transhipping coal from colliers to vessels or hulks is controlled by the Government inspectors, but there is 110 inspection by them of tho manner of discharging ashore. "In the Harbour ■ Regulations, as gazetted, provision is made for nets at the vessols' side and for stanchions and hand-ropes along tho gang plank, but apparently these regulations do not meet with tho approval of the men, for tho harbourmaster states that he is informed that after the nets and stanchions have been rigged they_ liavo been removed by tho men as being of no use and in the road. ' Pdssibly the best solution would bo to provide wider gang planks, say two of eighteen inches each, alongside tho trolleyways, so as to provide more room for the men engaged. „ "With reference, to the method of landing-' coal at Miramar Wharf, wo think tho appliances could bo improved, and would suggest a wider gangway beside the trolley and a net rigged between the vessel and tho staging.

"With regard to-dumping cargo: The Traffic Manager .'is strongly of opinion that it is advantageous to tho board to land cargo in largo quantities in slings or nets and to have it sorted 011 to tho trucks beforo it is truckcd to the stacks in tho sheds, as, in his opinion, tho work is done more expeditiously and at a lower cost. Provided the appliances aro in good order, and of sufficient strength, and that tlio loading on to the trucks is performed by the ship's men as at present, there does not seem to bo any objection to this practice from tlio board's point of view, although possibly fragilb goods may be exposed to greater risk of j injury. It may, however, be -advisable I to limit the load to bo lantled in ono | operation in dumping to not more than 30cwt. _ (weight), and measurement at j discretion of Traffic Manager. "With regard to the provision of electric light to be used 011 ships when working cargo, a- recent regulation requires that where electric light is available it shall be so usod. Electricity is available in Wellington, and has been permanently laid 011 at tho King's, Glasgow, llallway, Clyde Quay, and Wjell-ington-Lyttelton Ferry Wharves, and has also at-times been temporarily laid on at Taranaki Street Wharf; In viow of the regulation, it will, wo think, be advisable to extend the lines to Tara-naki-.Street Wharf and Jervois Quay breastwork, and to such other berths as may bo found .necessary, so that the light can bo used 011 vessels and hulks as required. "With reference to the use of capstans for moving railway wagons on wharves, it is proper that the capstans should, not bo used till the doors of the wagons have been closed. Instructions have been issued by the Traffic Manager to. ensure this being d,one in future. ■"With regard to the board's cranes: The whole of the gear is kept in- thoroughly ■ good order. Apart from the Government inspection, ' chains and other portions of tlio lifting gear aro regularly inspected by members of the., board's own staff, and any defect is reported to the chief mechanic, who at once has it rectified. "As to tho loads in single gear so far as the strength of tho gear is concerned anything that can bo lifted with single • gear is, carried by the samo chains as when the crane is lifting with doublo • gear. The limit of loading in single gear is governed by the size of tlio ram and tho water pressure available. 1 "llegardiug point raised in connection with the Queen's Wharf cranes as to the fouling of the chain, there have been practically no breakages of chains (luring tho past three years. Prior to that time, when a crane was not in use the ram was allowed to rest at the bottom of tho cylinder,- in consequence of which the chains came off the bottom sheaves, and at times were fouled when the crano was put into operation. This has since been remedied by keeping tlio ram out, and holding it with togglo gear. As to tho weight of balls, this matter, is being looked into, but so far as can bo scon there does not seem to be much in tho contention that extra risk is caused through tho balls boing of insufficient weight. Careful tests are boiii" made. 111 regard to the crane'caus: A number of these have been replaced during tho last fivo.ycars, and soma now require to be ropiaced. They are, however, draughty and uncomfortable. Steps ,-aro boing taken to mako them more comfortable, and it is also proposed to mako an experimental cab of steel. "Number of gangs on a ship: This is governed by tho number of gangs employed by tho board. Tho rale for Homo, foreign, and intercolonial vessels is six gangs on board's account working 011 tho wharf; extra board gangs aro supplied (up to eight usually, though on rare ocoasions nino and ten gangs have been employed for short periods) by tho traffic manager or first assistant wharfinger, depending on tho nature of the cargo, condition of sheds, and necessity for dispatch. The board can by refusing to supply extra gangs regulato the number of gangs that

could be employed on tho ship, but this, wo think, is a matter that should bo dealt with by tho Marino Department. "As to tho point raised with regard to tho insanitary stato of certain ships' holds, this seems to \is entirely a matter for tho Marino Department's inspectors. "In connection generally with, this matter wo interviewed tho Secretary of tho Marino Department, and discussed tlio overlapping of the regulations issued under tho Harbours Aod and tie Shipping and Seamen's Act respectively. We pointed out to tho Secretary that it would bo to tho advantage of all parties concerned if the Department's inspectors could undertake the work of inspection both on ships and 011 hulks. The Secretary stated that under tho Shipping and Seamen's Act Fug- Department had no pow.to interfere in regard to hulks, oxcep't in the matter of naked lights. A suggestion was mado that the Act might bo amended so a 6 to include hulks in the definition of 'ships. 1 Tho Secretary saw objections to this, and thought that a preferable solution would bo for- the hoard (with tho consent of tho Department) to appoint tho Department's inspectors to carry out the duties cast upon the board under the Harbours Act. This appears to us to be a satisfactory solution of the' difficulty, and ono which we recommend to tho favourable consideration of tho board, and we would further recommend that tho Secretary bo ompowered to approach tho Department with a-view to obtaining the necessary consent to such appointments. No doubt the Department would expect the board- to pay a portion of the inspectors' salaries, but we consider that such expenditure would be quite justified in view of the satisfactory results which are likely to be obtained. ■ If this proposal is given effect to- it will probably be necessary for. the Depart; ment to consolidate the present harbour regulations with such additions and amendments as may be decided upon by tho Department after, consultation with the various interests concerned."