Mooring vessels safely to help protect seafarers from serious injury or even death is the subject of OneLearn Global’s latest maritime course, which launches today (25 November).

The digital eLearning maritime training provider has added the ‘Safe Mooring Operations’ programme to its expanding portfolio of courses that cover all areas of the shipping sector.

The mooring course’s launch coincides with CrewConnect Global, the seafarer-related event taking place this week (22–26 November), that explores recruitment and retention, training and safety and mental health and wellbeing.

Seafarers who take OneLearn’s six-part course should be able to carry out mooring operations safely after completing the following sections:

• An introduction to safe mooring operations
• The dangers of mooring operations
• Mooring deck safety and set up
• Mooring plan
• Mooring operations
• Action in case of emergency.

Among the topics, crewmembers learn about the most common dangers such as getting fingers or hands trapped when handling mooring ropes on warping drums and long-term injuries caused by poor posture while working with lines or other objects.

Inspecting mooring lines, putting together a robust plan that accounts for all safety issues and procedures and how constant monitoring of ropes throughout a voyage can improve seafarers’ situational awareness also feature in the course.

“Statistics from the European Harbour Masters’ Committee show that ropes and wires cause 95% of all personal injuries on board, demonstrating why our new course is essential for any crewmember,” said Nigel Cleave, Senior Advisor at OneLearn Global.

“Shipping is an exciting industry but also a hazardous one for anyone working at sea. As a maritime training provider, our role is to develop and deliver courses that help protect the lives of seafarers – a big responsibility that we take incredibly seriously.”

While launching the new course, OneLearn Global has also gained STCW approval from the Bahamas Maritime Authority for four existing training programmes: Crowd Management; Crisis Management and Human Behaviour on Passenger Ship; Security Awareness Training; and Designated Security Duties Training.

“Getting approval from one of the world’s leading flag states is yet another sign of OneLearn Global’s growing stature, confirming our reputation as a ground-breaking digital eLearning maritime training provider,” Mr Cleave said.