Near Miss – Near Spill Due to Flow Rate TERMINAL

During the loading operation at APEX PORT ALLEN the Tankerman requested the rate be reduced from 4500 barrels per hour to 2500 barrels per hour. The rate was reduced so the Tankerman can go into his top off phase. The barges were being loaded to max draft of 9’3. The inside barge was completed so the flow was going to the outside barge. The tankerman gave the required notifications of 2 hours, 1 hour, 30 minutes and 5 minutes. He received an acknowledgement each time he notified the dock man. When the Tankerman asked for the transfer to be shut down he did not receive any acknowledgement. He again asked for a shut down but did not receive a response. He then instructed the vessel Tankerman to open his barge up and take some of the flow into his #2 cargo tanks. At this point he directed his flow from the #3’s to the #2’s on his barge. He was still asking for shutdown but receiving no response. He then went to the header and began to close the header valve against the flow from the dock. Before the valve was closed the dock man responded and shut the transfer down. The time frame from the first request for shut down to actual shut down was approximately five minutes. The dock man gave no explanation for not answering the radio and shutting down the transfer when requested.