Question 3 TK01 - Tank Vessel Assistant - Dangerous Liquids

The Correct Answer is C ### Why Option C (Loading Operations) is Correct: **Loading operations** (also known as terminal transfer operations) involve connecting and disconnecting hoses or loading arms, monitoring tank levels, and managing valve controls. During these processes, the most frequent, though often individually small, releases of oil or pollutants occur due to human error, equipment malfunction, or overfilling (spilling). These releases, often associated with minor spills, leaks from flanges/hoses, or overflows, collectively constitute the highest number of discrete pollution *incidents*. ### Why the Other Options Are Incorrect: **A) routine discharge of oil during ballasting and tank crude oil washing:** While historically a major source of overall pollution *volume* (before international regulations like MARPOL), modern practices, especially the use of segregated ballast tanks (SBTs) and stringent operational procedures, have made these types of routine discharges less *frequent* as polluting *incidents* compared to the discrete events associated with loading and unloading activities. **B) groundings:** Groundings are catastrophic events that cause massive pollution by *volume*. However, they are statistically rare and low in *frequency* when compared to the countless minor spills and leaks that occur during the routine, high-frequency activity of cargo transfer (loading/unloading). **D) collisions:** Similar to groundings, collisions are high-impact, low-frequency events that cause massive pollution. They are rare incidents and do not contribute to the *most frequent* incidents of pollution that occur daily across the global tanker fleet.