Preventing Accidental Deployment of

Spuds

To ensure the safety of employees on construction

barges and towing vessels, employers and employees

need to take the following safety precautions:

• Before a barge is moved, the spuds need to be

raised so that the pinhole is above the resting area

of the securing pin. Each spud should be pinned in

the raised position.

• The licensed master of a towing vessel, who is responsible for ensuring that the vessels under his or

her control are safe to move, needs to ensure that

spud securing pins are in place and have a means

to prevent inadvertent disengagement before the

tow is underway.

• If the spuds must be lowered to stop the barge in an

emergency situation (for example, in case of a

power failure of the tug or an imminent collision), a

supervisor needs to direct the barge employees on

how and when to lower the spuds.

Fire Aboard Athena 106, West Cote Blanche

Bay, Louisiana

On October 12, 2006, the towing vessel Miss Megan

was pushing two deck barges to a pile-driving location

in the West Cote Blanche Bay oil field off the Louisiana

coast. While the vessels were under way, the 5-ton aft

spud on one of the barges, the Athena 106, suddenly

dropped into the water from its raised position. The

spud struck a buried high-pressure natural gas

pipeline, rupturing the pipeline. The gas ignited and

created a fireball that engulfed the towing vessel and

both barges. The master of the towing vessel and four

barge employees were killed, and another barge employee was listed as missing.

The Athena 106 accident investigation found that in

day-to-day operations the spud winch operator used

only foot brakes to hold the raised spuds. The accident

could have been prevented if the securing pin had

been used as a backup to the winch foot brakes to

hold the raised spud. The securing pin would have

kept the spud from accidentally deploying, even if the

winch, its brakes, or the supporting cable failed.

FactSheet

Spud Barge Safety

During marine construction work deck barges are held in place by vertical steel shafts

known as spuds.The spud equipment typically consists of forward and aft spuds and a diesel

engine-powered spud winch. Three methods are available to prevent the spud from accidentally

dropping or slipping: latching the winch foot brake; engaging a steel pawl that fits into a

notched ring on the outside of the winch drum; and inserting a steel securing pin directly

through the fully raised spud, preventing it from free-falling if the winch or cable fails.

Photos showing

spud with securing

pin lying alongside

(left) and with

securing pin

inserted (right).
This is one in a series of informational fact sheets highlighting OSHA programs, policies or

standards. It does not impose any new compliance requirements. For a comprehensive list of

compliance requirements of OSHA standards or regulations, refer toTitle 29 of the Code of Federal

Regulations. This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request.

The voice phone is (202) 693-1999; teletypewriter (TTY) number: (877) 889-5627.

U.S. Department of Labor

www.osha.gov

(800) 321-OSHA

For more complete information:

DSG 1/2009

• Before attempting to lower mooring

spuds, ensure that spud securing pins are

completely removed and that employees

are clear of the immediate area. Such

practices will help to avoid employees

being struck by dislodged or falling pins,

which can weigh up to 85 pounds and

measure approximately 4-feet-long and

3 inches in diameter.

• Employers who own and operate barges

need to develop standard operating procedures. Employers should provide initial

and periodic training to employees on

barges including, how to use securing

pins to hold spuds safely in place before a

barge is moved from one site to another.

Additional Information

To obtain more information on deck barges

and spuds, go to www.osha.gov, click on the

link for “Publications” and view the OSHA

guidance document, Deck Barge Safety

(OSHA 3358).