During a third party survey, the surveyor made a request to test the emergency fire pump, what followed resulted in a close call when both the surveyor and chief engineer nearly collapsed due to refrigerant gas
This is one of a number of accidents notified to the Club relating to the explosive failure of glass fittings, pressure gauge glasses, manometers and light bulbs resulting in serious injuries to crew.
In this lessons learnt video the crew were instructed to clean the vessel's cargo holds in preparation for the next cargo, during the procedure a seaman on top of the staging fell down suffering serious injuries.
The Club is aware of a number of accidents occurring during the making fast or letting go of a tow. In another case, a carpenter was killed after being struck on the neck by a messenger line jumping off a warping drum.
The duty engineer and oiler were assigned the job of replacing a damaged diesel generator exhaust gas thermometer requiring a section of the exhaust manifold to be dismantled. While doing this, he leant backwards to avoid dust blowing into his face with the result that he lost his balance and fell from the platform on to the deck more than two metres below.
A chemical eye injury case study highlights critical safety lessons - refer to safety data sheets, wear proper PPE including face shields, ensure eyewash access, seek urgent medical advice
In preparation for arrival in port to load cargo, the crew rigged the pilot ladder combination on the port side in accordance with the pilot's instructions. The tanker's master manoeuvred the vessel to create a lee for the pilot launch and the pilot transferred from the launch to the rope ladder without incident. Unbeknown to the launch crew, a tripping line attached near to the bottom rung of the ladder fouled a cleat on the near side of the launch and as the craft manoeuvred away, the ladder was stretched and pulled from the ship's side.
The crew were instructed to clean the vessel's cargo holds in preparation for the next cargo. The vessel was underway with sea conditions recorded as slight with no ship movement. In order to gain better access to the upper areas of the hold, the crew arranged to position the high pressure washing equipment on top of portable staging erected on the tank top.
As discharge of a cargo of coal progressed, the level in one of the cargo holds had lowered to the point where stevedores needed to enter for cargo trimming operations using bulldozers.
This fully laden bulk carrier was on passage in the Mediterranean Sea during winter. Whilst the seamen were handling the hose on the starboard side, a wave was shipped onto the main deck, sweeping them heavily against the adjacent cargo hold hatch coamings. Both sustained multiple injuries requiring the vessel to deviate to land the seamen ashore for urgent hospital treatment.
Whilst the vessel was at anchor waiting to berth, one of the engine room fitters was instructed by the Chief Engineer to fabricate a set of locking pins for the anchor cable stoppers. It was planned that the work would take place in the engine room workshop and involve the use of an angle grinder for which the fitter had the choice of an electrical or pneumatically powered tool.
A shipyard pipe fitter was tasked with disassembling a section of steam piping in the engine room. He was not expected to read the repair specification for the job but instead he was to receive general repair guidance from his foreman, who did have a copy of the repair specification.
