Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) for Reducing the Delays of Cargo Handling Operations in Marine Bulk Terminals

Abstract

So far as dry bulk cargoes are concerned, million tones of different varieties of these cargoes being moved and handled in marine bulk terminals around the world every day. Undoubtedly, this massive movement can impose serious cargo handling issues for dry bulk terminals in seaport. The problems associated with handling of dry bulk cargo in marine terminals can be in terms of both infrastructure and superstructure.
This research attempts to use a combination method comprising Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) in conjunction with the Cause and Effect Diagram and Pareto Analysis to firstly reduce the delays in cargo handling operations, and secondly to smooth the loading/unloading activities in marine bulk terminals.
To achieve these objectives, this paper also aims to initially surface the major factors causing delays in cargo handling operation by focusing on the quantification of risk assessment through determining the Risk Priority Numbers (RPN) per identified processing of cargo handling operation, and then suggest solutions to resolve the problems.