Formal Safety Assessment On Loading And Unloading Operation Of VLOC

Iron ore is an essential raw material in steel industry. Iron ore import could make up for the shortage of domestic yield and provide a stable, adequate, high-quality iron ore. And that is an important guarantee for sustainable development of China’s steel industry. The main channel of iron ore import is specialized ore carrier transportation (especially VLOC). The whole shipping process could be divided into three parts, namely iron ore loading at export terminal, sea transportation and iron ore discharging at import terminal. Among these, iron ore loading and unloading are very critical and special, once an accident happens, would inevitably lead to serious consequences. Regarding that China has now become the world’s largest iron ore consumer, and dependency on import is rising year by year. Research on the safety of iron ore carrier has become a hot spot.In this paper, the process of VLOC loading and discharging are regarded as the research object, aiming at improving the level of VLOC safety during loading and unloading process. Based on practical situation, the study is carried out by following steps:hazard identification, risk assessment, decision-making and suggestion. The method can be divided into four parts:determine index evaluation system, calculate weight, determine the evaluation index membership degree and modelling.Firstly, this paper would conduct risk identification of VLOC cargo handling and established cargo handling safety evaluation index system according to human factor, ship factor, management factor and environment factor by reading pertinent literature, consulting experts and questionnaire survey. Secondly, the paper would utilize fuzzy theory to establish a VLOC loading and unloading safety assessment mathematical model. By using reliability analysis, experience factor could be calculated. Then synthetic weight can be determined through combination of analytic hierarchy process and dynamic weight in extension theory. As for evaluation set, this paper would select Delphi investigation method and data analysis to determine its value. The paper would also use fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method to quantitatively assess cargo handling safety of VLOC. Finally, based on the theory of formal safety assessment,this paper would assess the safety condition of 200000 tons ore terminal at Xiashan Zhanjiang, the paper would give suggestions on human factor, ship factor, management factor and environment factor thus provides theory basis for the safety of VLOC loading and unloading.