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River safety improvement with Bolina safety booms
Published on 25 Jun ‘25
Improving River Safety on the Maas with Bolina Watercraft Safety Booms
Safety Booms on River Maas

The River Maas (Meuse) is one of the Netherlands’ most vital waterways. It supports commercial shipping, recreational boating and water management infrastructure. But the Maas also poses significant challenges for water safety, especially near weirs, check dams and locks.

Over the years, many of these structures have become accident hotspots. To address these risks, Bolina Watercraft Safety Booms have been strategically installed at multiple locations along the River Maas for many years. This in partnership with our Belgian partner, AQWatt.

Strategic deployment along the Maas

Bolina safety booms have been deployed at key points along the River Maas. Installations span from Maastricht in the south to Nijmegen and Arnhem in the north. Each installation is tailored to the local waterway conditions, protecting both people and watercraft at weirs and check dams, waterway locks, including intakes and other critical infrastructure.

This wide deployment plays a critical role in maintaining safe navigation and preventing accidental entry into hazardous areas.

Why safety booms are essential on the River Maas

The Maas has many weirs and check dams that regulate water flow. These structures can create hazardous conditions for both people and vessels. Accidental entry into these zones can lead to capsizing, entrapment or damage to watercraft. The risks increase during high water, poor visibility, or when a vessel loses power.

Our booms serve as strong, highly visible barriers that:

✅ Prevent unauthorized or accidental entry into hazardous areas.
✅ Guide boats safely towards designated waterway locks.
✅ Provide a last line of defense for watercraft that lose control near dangerous zones.

Engineering excellence: How Bolina booms work

Each boom is engineered for strength and resilience. The core is a steel tube, providing long-term durability. Inside the tube, a 40-tons certified chain runs the full length of the boom. This adds tensile strength and anchoring reliability. Floats are spaced along the boom to ensure stability.

Between the floats, steel tubes hold grab handles for people in the water. These provide secure handholds during rescue. Safety lifelines run across the floats, which allow people to swim to safety when floats offer no grip. The floats are filled with closed-cell foam, making them virtually unsinkable. The design also prevents tampering or manual lifting of the boom.

This engineering ensures that the booms remain effective under a wide range of conditions.

When the unexpected happens

In most cases, our booms perform exactly as intended, even under strong current and sustained pressure. In an incident on October 2024, however, a fully loaded barge lost control and collided with a weir on the River Maas. This location was protected by one of our safety booms. Luckily, the two people onboard were unharmed.

Ship stuck on River MaasThe Dutch Safety Board carried out an exploratory investigation into the circumstances. Extreme river conditions followed days of heavy rainfall across the region. This led to unusually high water levels and faster-than-normal currents. These factors made the vessel difficult to control and increased the impact force. The barge was unable to stop and collided with the weir. The safety boom, placed downstream for protection, was damaged during the event. It’s important to clarify: the boom did not fail under normal conditions. It became the final point of impact during an uncontrollable situation.

The safety booms include a steel-reinforced core and a 40-tons certified chain. They are engineered to withstand tough conditions, including current and pressure. However, no boom is designed to absorb direct collision from a barge in flood conditions. This event resulted from extreme environmental forces and a vessel control issue, exceeding boom design parameters. Such incidents are rare, but they show how unpredictable rivers can be. They also highlight the essential role safety booms play in reducing damage and risk. The boom absorbed part of the force and likely slowed the barge’s momentum.

Supporting the Netherlands’ Water Safety Vision

This Maas project aligns closely with the Netherlands’ broader water safety goals, including the Room for the River program. Bolina Watercraft Safety Booms reduce the risk of accidents near hydraulic structures. They also help protect critical infrastructure and support emergency response readiness. Our safety booms are now a key element in the Netherlands’ long-term river safety strategy.

📷 Photo courtesy Rijkswaterstaat.

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