Why “routine lifting” quietly causes crush injuries and fatalities
Estimated read time: 70–85 minutes
Audience: Cadet → AB → Junior Officer → Chief Mate
Introduction – The most underestimated lifting operation on deck
Stores and provisions handling is one of the most frequent lifting activities carried out on deck — and one of the least respected. Loads are usually light compared to cargo, the operations are short, and the task is often rushed to “get it out of the way”.
This combination is exactly why serious injuries occur.
Stores handling fails not because equipment is inadequate, but because discipline degrades fastest during routine work. The same physics that governs heavy lifts still applies — just closer to people.
What actually goes wrong during stores handling
Stores are often irregularly shaped, poorly balanced, and packaged for road transport, not shipboard lifting. Loads swing easily, slings shift, and lifting points are improvised. Crew instinctively step closer to guide loads by hand, placing themselves inside crush and pinch zones.
Unlike cargo operations, stores handling is rarely treated as a formal lifting plan — even though it involves suspended loads over personnel.
🔧 Regulatory Reality: Lifting Stores on Ships
Stores handling is covered under multiple overlapping regulations and guidance, even if crews don’t always recognise it as such.
Under SOLAS Chapter II-1 (Construction – Structure, Machinery and Electrical Installations) and Chapter III (Life-Saving Appliances and Arrangements):
- lifting appliances and associated gear must be approved and maintained
- crew must be trained in safe use of shipboard lifting equipment
Under the ILO Code of Practice on Safety and Health in Ports (widely applied to shipboard operations):
- suspended loads must not pass over personnel
- manual guidance of loads must be minimised
- lifting gear must be appropriate for the load and method
Many flag states also apply PUWER-style principles (Provision and Use of Work Equipment), requiring:
- equipment suitability
- competent operation
- risk assessment for non-routine lifts
From a regulatory standpoint, “it’s only stores” is not a defence.
Rigging stores: where shortcuts appear
Improvised slinging — using single slings, knots, or mismatched shackles — is one of the most common unsafe practices. Loads that lift cleanly from the quay may rotate once clear, shifting the centre of gravity unexpectedly.
Experienced deck officers insist on:
- proper slinging (even for small loads)
- tag lines where rotation is possible
- clear exclusion zones
These controls are not excessive. They are the minimum needed to keep people out of crush paths.
🔻 Real-World Failure: Fatal Crush Injury During Stores Loading – UK-Flag Vessel (2018)
In 2018, a crew member on a UK-flagged vessel was fatally injured during routine stores loading when a suspended pallet shifted and pinned him against deck structure. The load was relatively light and being guided by hand.
Investigation found no mechanical failure. The injury resulted from human positioning within the load’s travel path and inadequate control of the suspended load. The operation was not treated as a formal lift.
The key finding was simple and brutal:
The load did exactly what physics allowed.
The crew member was where he should never have been.
Why speed makes stores handling worse
Stores operations are often squeezed between port activities, leading to rushed decisions. Speed increases proximity, proximity removes escape routes, and small loads leave no margin when they shift.
Senior deck officers deliberately slow stores handling down — not to waste time, but to restore distance and control.
Knowledge to Carry Forward
Stores and provisions handling is lifting work, not housekeeping. The same rules apply: suspended loads, exclusion zones, proper rigging, and controlled movement. Regulations do not distinguish between “cargo” and “stores” when someone is injured.
Competent deck officers treat every lift as capable of crushing someone — because it is.
Tags
On Deck, Stores Handling, Provisions, Lifting Operations, Crush Injury, Rigging, Deck Safety, Human Factors, Failure Modes