AB Suffers Serious Injuries After Six-Meter Fall During Funnel Maintenance at Sea

On the morning of the incident, the vessel was at sea. The climate was calm, with slight seas and a delicate breeze. Work had been deliberate on the funnel’s exterior to handle a job order for repainting and correcting the corporate emblem. Previous to commencing this job, a home made cradle, primarily a slender phase of gangway rigged with ropes for handrails, had been ready by the crew beneath the supervision of the chief officer, who verified its obvious suitability for the job.

Shortly earlier than 09:00, two ABs gathered their tools and required PPE. They’d reviewed the related danger evaluation and accomplished a piece allow for working aloft.

By 09:00, one of many AB’s was positioned on the cradle aloft, suspended by traces connected to the highest of the funnel, whereas the opposite AB remained on the deck to help and deal with the tools.

For roughly one hour, the AB aloft methodically sprayed the funnel’s plating with high-pressure water, shifting the cradle vertically and laterally as wanted. All through this era, the vessel maintained a gradual course and pace, and the slight movement of the ocean didn’t intervene with the work. Shortly after 10:00, each males paused for a espresso break. After resuming work round 10:30, the AB on the cradle centered on the ahead facet of the funnel, persevering with cleansing. Whereas repositioning himself on the cradle, he unclipped his security harness momentarily to maneuver from one finish of the platform to the opposite. Within the seconds that adopted, he appeared to lose his steadiness, presumably as a result of his proper foot slipped off the sting or turned entangled. In consequence, he fell from an estimated top of 6 meters onto the deck beneath. The opposite AB who had been helping, noticed him strike a portion of the railing or funnel deck construction earlier than touchdown.

The crew instantly responded by calling for medical help on board. They positioned him on a stretcher and administered oxygen and first help within the vessel’s hospital space. In the meantime, the vessel’s Grasp contacted the closest MRCC, which deployed a quick rescue boat. Round 13:00, the rescue boat arrived and took the injured AB ashore for pressing medical remedy.

When discussing this case please think about that the actions taken on the time made sense for all concerned. Don’t solely decide but additionally ask why you suppose these actions had been taken and will this occur in your vessel?

Does our SMS tackle these dangers?
What sections of our SMS would have been breached, if any?
How will we affirm that the staging or cradle we’re utilizing has been correctly inspected and is appropriate for the duty?
When repositioning aloft, what strategies or tools (e.g., double lanyards) will help us preserve steady fall safety?
At what level do altering environmental situations (wind, swell, poor visibility) make it unsafe to proceed working aloft, and who decides to droop operations?
If a harness or lifeline seems to be broken or worn, what’s our process for reporting and changing it earlier than beginning work?
How can we encourage open communication in order that any crew member feels comfy stopping the work in the event that they see an unsafe situation or follow?
Which key factors from the chance evaluation for working aloft should we pay probably the most consideration to throughout on a regular basis operations?
How will we make sure that workforce members who haven’t beforehand carried out this job obtain the correct steerage and supervision earlier than taking part?
Along with stopping accidents, how can we proactively create situations that make protected behaviour the pure and best alternative for everybody concerned?
What help do we want from administration (further coaching, up to date procedures, extra assets) to strengthen our working aloft practices?
What instant, actionable steps can we take from at this time’s dialogue?