Two minute warning

Published 4:00 pm Monday, April 9, 2001

“Traffic attendant Scott Iversen will be lowering the ferry traffic boom two minutes before the ferry leaves once new safety procedures take effect later this month.Jim Larsen / staff photoFerry safety measures scheduled to take effect this month will likely leave a few fuming motorists on the dock on a regular basis.No more driving onto the ferry at the last possible second as the electronically operated traffic boom lowers behind your car.Beginning April 16, vehicles and passengers will not be allowed to board for approximately two minutes before the ferry leaves the dock at its scheduled time.Washington State Ferries is asking our customers to plan their arrival to allow time to be processed through the terminal onto the vessel at least three minutes in advance of the sailing, said Susan Harris-Heuther, customer information manager.The change is being made to bring State Ferries into compliance with the International Safety Management Code. That code requires implementation of a Safety Management System. Such a system was first implemented in 1998 on State Ferries’ international Anacortes to Sidney, B.C. route. Now, it’s being implemented systemwide.According to Harris-Heuther, the new Safety Management System includes specific departure procedures that will take approximately two minutes to perform. As a result, for example, a ferry leaving at noon will halt all walk-on and vehicle boarding at 11:58.Early Thursday afternoon was a relatively slow day at the Clinton ferry dock. Supervising boarding was traffic attendant Scott Iversen as the 2:30 ferry was about to leave. He let several cars aboard between 2:28 and 2:30 which would have been left on the dock under the new system.Iversen said the new procedure won’t make any difference when ferry traffic is busy and the ferries quickly fill up with cars. But he admitted that stragglers on slow days may be irritated to see the gate closed while the ferry remains at the dock for two minutes going through safety checks.Pat Whalen, terminal agent at Clinton, said the good news for ferry patrons is that the ferries will actually depart at leaving time under the new system. With the gate closed early, the ferries will be able to get under way on schedule.People on board the ferry will be pleased to be leaving on time, while those still on the dock could be frustrated. They could see the gate drop two minutes before leaving time, Whalen said. It’ll be a cultural change.However, Whalen said, the safety procedures probably won’t take two minutes once everyone is used to the system. At Anacortes, it only takes about one minute, he said.Harris-Heuther said safety is the main concern. It shows the organization’s commitment to safety and makes safety everyone’s job, she said. “