An electrical technician was crushed to death during lift inspection on a cruise ship last year.
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its final report into the incident that took place on Bermuda-registered passenger vessel Arvia.
What happened
At about 0552 on 26 October 2025, a crew member on board the Bermuda-registered passenger vessel Arvia was fatally injured while inspecting a passenger lift following overnight repairs.
Arvia was on passage from Southampton, UK, to Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. The lift had been returned to normal operation for testing before the inspection and moved in response to a stored call signal while the crewmember was inside the lift shaft.
The investigation found that the inspection was not supported by a clearly communicated and mutually understood plan.
Positive control of the lift had not been established before the crewmember entered the lift shaft, and the work relied on self-resetting door interlocks that did not provide an effective barrier against lift movement.
Following the accident Arvia’s managers, Carnival UK Ltd, has taken action to reinforce lift maintenance procedures, communication arrangements and training requirements across its fleet.
Safety issues
- Communication and planning for the inspection were ineffective.
- Control of the lift had not been established before the crew member entered the lift shaft.
- Self-resetting door interlocks were relied on as a safety barrier against lift movement.
- Permit to work arrangements did not identify that the task had moved beyond the authorised scope of work.
- Lift maintenance training and competence assurance were inconsistent.
Recommendations
Carnival UK Ltd has been recommended to review the use of self-resetting lift door interlocks as a safety barrier to prevent activation of lifts during maintenance or inspection.
Read the full report: