Health & Safety

On 18 December 2016, the bulk carrier Graig Rotterdam was discharging a deck cargo of packaged timber at anchor in Alexandria Port, Egypt. At 1109, the bosun, a Chinese national, fell overboard and into a barge that was secured alongside after the timber deck cargo stack on which he was standing partially collapsed. Although the ship’s crew provided first-aid following the accident, the bosun later died of his injuries.

Safety Issues

Poor stevedoring practices probably contributed to the unsecured cargo stack collapsing, and no measures were in place to prevent the bosun from falling overboard as a result
With the deck cargo lashings removed, the cargo packages had insufficient racking strength to counter the effects of ship movement, cargo repositioning, dunnage displacement, barges securing to deck cargo stacks, and cargo discharge operations over a prolonged period
Poor stevedoring practices that had previously been witnessed by the ship’s crew were not discussed and so were allowed to continue Continue reading “MAIB report published into the cargo collapse on bulk carrier Graig Rotterdam resulting in one fatality”

At 1812 on 5 October 2016, a Port of London Authority sea pilot was in the process of boarding the Bahamas registered general cargo vessel Sunmi from the pilot transfer Patrol when he fell and was crushed between the two vessels. He died at the scene despite prompt medical attention from Royal National Lifeboat Institution and local ambulance crew.

Safety Issues
– Low freeboard pilot transfers involve risks that should be included in risk assessments for boarding and landing
– The designated pilot boarding station on board Sunmi was not marked and the deck gate should not have been opened in preparation for the transfer as it was unsuitable
Continue reading “MAIB report published into an accident during pilot transfer resulting in loss of one life”