Transport Malta’s Marine Security Investigation Unit has issued an investigation report into deadly accidents to a crew member, throughout cargo operations within the port of Bata, Equatorial Guinea on twenty first July 2023.
The incident
On 21 July 2023, Port Gdynia was moored alongside within the port of Bata, Equatorial Guinea. Cargo loading operations had been in progress when the electrotechnical officer (ETO) was discovered mendacity on deck, with a extreme head damage. The crew members noticed that the injured ETO didn’t present any indicators of life and their makes an attempt to revive him had been unsuccessful. He was finally transferred to a hospital, the place his loss of life was confirmed. There have been no witnesses to the prevalence, however the security investigation thought-about it seemingly that the ETO might have tripped over an obstruction on deck and fallen, subsequently struggling a deadly head damage. The MSIU has issued one advice to the Firm, aimed toward making certain that the crew members all the time use the security helmets’ chin straps.
Evaluation
Purpose
The aim of a marine security investigation is to find out the circumstances and security elements of the accident as a foundation for making suggestions, and to stop additional marine casualties or incidents from occurring sooner or later.
Cooperation
Throughout this security investigation, MSIU obtained help and cooperation from the Państwowa Komisja Badania Wypadków Morskich (PKBWM), Poland. Reason for loss of life Since an post-mortem was not carried out, the reason for loss of life was not decided. Nevertheless, the loss of life certificates attributed the reason for loss of life to a fall and contemplating the severity of the pinnacle wound, the security investigation thought-about it seemingly that the ETO might have suffered a deadly damage after falling on deck. Possible explanation for the deadly damage The ETO’s head damage recommended that it had been brought on by a strike in opposition to a tough object / becoming. Since there have been no indications which might recommend that the ETO had checked or was checking any reefer container within the neighborhood, the MSIU thought-about it extremely unlikely that the ETO had fallen from a peak.
As talked about earlier on this security investigation report, the cross deck the place the ETO was discovered, was slender with numerous obstructions alongside it. Of the measured 1.9 m, about 1.0 m of the cross deck was taken up by the fastened deck fittings (container sockets and pad eyes), leaving nearly 0.9 m of house for an individual to go by. Nevertheless, across the time of the prevalence, this 0.9 m of house was additionally not freed from obstructions, with unfastened cargo securing gear mendacity round and reefer container cables working throughout it. It was subsequently seemingly that the ETO might have tripped over an obstruction (both some cargo securing gear, reefer cable, or a hard and fast deck becoming) and fallen, face-first on the deck, along with his brow instantly hanging both the deck, or one other fastened deck becoming. Though he was not identified to have been affected by any sicknesses previous to the prevalence, allowing for the age of the ETO, the security investigation was additionally unable to utterly rule out the opportunity of the ETO collapsing on deck because of a pure trigger after which struggling the deadly damage.
Possible explanation for the ETO tripping
Whereas noting that the quite a few obstructions on the cross deck offered tripping hazards, the security investigation additionally thought-about that because the ETO had been on board for greater than two months, he would have handed by that cross deck on a number of events and would have been conscious of the tripping hazards current there.
Conclusions
The loss of life certificates attributed the reason for the ETO’s loss of life to a slippery and abrupt fall [sic.] on the deck. An post-mortem was not carried out.
The pinnacle damage recommended that it had been brought on by a tough strike in opposition to a blunt metallic object / becoming. The protection investigation thought-about it seemingly that the ETO might have suffered a deadly damage when his brow instantly struck both the deck or one other fastened deck becoming, after he fell on deck.
In view of the ETO’s age and within the absence of an post-mortem examination, the security investigation was unable to utterly rule out the opportunity of the ETO collapsing on deck because of a pure trigger, after which he suffered the deadly damage.
It was doable that the ETO might have been distracted whereas passing by the slender cross deck and consequently, he might haven’t seen an obstruction in his path and doubtless tripped over it.
The protection investigation didn’t exclude the likelihood that the ETO’s imaginative and prescient might have both been barely blurry because of dry eyes, or he might have utilized his eye drops whereas passing by the cross deck, which can have resulted within the momentary blurring of his imaginative and prescient whereas his eyes settled.
The protection investigation hypothesized that the ETO had meant to proceed in the direction of the ahead a part of the vessel, to verify another electrical tools. Since cargo operations had been in progress from the port aspect, the one possibility he might have seen was to go by the cross deck to the starboard aspect.
The protection investigation thought-about it doable that the ETO had meant to proceed to the starboard aspect and because the lodging’s starboard aspect door was locked, he used the cross deck.
The wound seen on the ETO’s brow recommended that his security helmet was not on. Most likely, if the ETO had tripped over an obstruction, the security helmet might have slipped off his head, particularly since a chin strap was not fitted to the helmet.
Info relayed to the security investigation recommended lack of preparedness within the port, at the moment, to cope with medical emergencies. Nevertheless, the security investigation was unable to confirm the extent of such preparedness.
Suggestions
Polskie Linie Oceaniczne S.A. is advisable to:
09/2024_R1 make sure that all security helmets on board its fleet are fitted with chin straps and that the crew members all the time use the chin straps.
Did you subscribe to our day by day Publication?
It’s Free! Click on right here to Subscribe!
Supply: Transport Malta
