High Reliability Tanker Loading and Discharge Operations: Cheveron Long Wharf, Richmond, California

This paper summarizes the results of a two-year study of tanker loading and discharge operations at the Chevron wharf located at Richmond, California. The primary objective of this study was the application of knowledge developed in previous research that addressed human and organizational factors in operations of marine systems. This application was intended first to identify strengths and weaknesses of this technology, and second to identify how the reliability of the operations at the wharf could be improved. The study involved a review of oil spill databases, data and information gathering in the field at several tanker loading and discharge facilities, interviews with key operations and management personnel, qualitative assessments of the physical and human aspects, and quantitative evaluations of these same aspects. Results from the interviews and field operations observations were used to develop qualitative and quantitative models to address the reliability characteristics of the operations. In the end, the qualitative assessments were found to be much more elucidating than the results from the quantitative models. The reasons for this finding are summarized in the paper. Hardware, procedure, crew selection and training, and management oversight were all found to be of very high quality. The study identified four important areas for potential future improvements: 1) management of organizational change, 2) operations communications, and 3) development of near miss and accident databases. These potential improvements are discussed in this paper.

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