Navigational safety of shuttle tankers

This article deals with a very important problem, i.e. with the safety of shuttle tankers at sea. The author presents systems and mechanisms observed at these types of vessels which have great influence on safety both during loading and discharging operations, as well as at sea. A dynamic positioning system was introduced together with its subsystems and their role in increasing safety. Another issue discussed in this article is the problem of oil pollution during cargo handling operations and sea pollution resulting from accidents of tankers. This article also covers some problems connected with training of crew of these specialized vessels, operating the instruments and equipment installed on them and also with the maritime infrastructure. Some problems connected with navigation observed in some regions of the world were also discussed here. Transport of oil close to the coast is a branch of oil transportation in full swing. Each even the minor failure results in serious consequences for people, for vessels and for the environment. Constant development of new technologies used on shuttle tankers and constructing new vessels equipped with the most modern technical solutions aims at minimizing the risk of situations threatening people's life, situations dangerous for the vessel and the marine environment