Simulation of Towing Operation Risks

The SafeTrans Joint Industry Project (JIP) was founded in 1997 to develop an improved, PC based method for transport and tow engineering. The Safetrans computer program can be used for several purposes, and one of them is to assess the risks involved with towing operations. This can be done for dry tows, wet tows and for heavy lift vessels. The voyage simulations are based upon a Monte Carlo Simulation approach, in which the “Captain Decision Mimick” predicts the decisions taken by the captain in different situations. Hundreds of voyage replications can be simulated overnight, to obtain stable statistics. During a voyage, the hazards will vary depending on weather conditions, proximity to shore, etc. The risk assessment module accounts for the changing hazards and calculates the economic, environmental and personnel risks.