KOCCA Inspection Reveals Lashing Deficiencies and Fall Risks on Ro-Ro Ships

Some ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off) ferries used to load and transport vehicles have been found operating without complying with vehicle loading plans or with inadequate vehicle lashing, according to a recent inspection.

The Korea Consumer Agency announced the results of its safety inspection today (Sept. 2) covering 25 ports nationwide and 13 routes operated by passenger ferries and passenger-cargo vessels.

The inspection covered ports and 10 passenger ferry routes (operated by 10 companies) across five regions including Gyeonggi, Gyeongsang, Jeolla, Jeju, and Chungcheong, as well as three ferry routes (operated by 4 companies) used by smaller vessels.

The investigation revealed that across four routes (three passenger ferry routes and one small vessel route), operators failed to follow vehicle loading plans or maintained insufficient vehicle lashing.

Poor vehicle loading or insecure lashing can cause vehicles to shift or tilt to one side during operation, potentially leading to major accidents.

Among the passenger ferry operators, five companies were found to have violated regulations, such as allowing passengers to remain inside loaded vehicles during transit.

Ports are required to install safety facilities to prevent vehicles from slipping or falling, but 11 out of the 25 inspected ports had inadequate safety measures in place.

Issues included a lack of proper entry barriers, posing risks of vehicles falling off the docks.

An observation of boarding and disembarking procedures showed that some ferry routes had overlapping pathways for vehicles and pedestrians.

Based on the inspection results, the Korea Consumer Agency has recommended that relevant companies establish safety management plans for boarding and disembarking while strictly complying with regulations.

It has also requested competent authorities to conduct on-site inspections of operational safety management and strengthen monitoring and supervision.

(Photo provided by Korea Consumer Agency, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.