The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) has issued an investigation report into an incident where a member of the crew found the bosun unconscious on the deck in the forecastle store, holding on to an electrical cable and portable lamp.
The incident
On the afternoon of 30 August 2024 the Bahamas-flagged bulk carrier, Sophia Z, was in the Indian Ocean—on passage from Las Palmas, Canary Islands, to Taichung, Taiwan, loaded with a cargo of phosphate rock. The weather was good and the sea state was slight to moderate, allowing for work on deck.
During the chief officer’s morning meeting with the deck crew, works scheduled as part of the vessel’s planned maintenance as well as non-routine tasks were discussed and assigned. Afterwards, the bosun, an able seafarer (AB), and a junior deck rating made their way down to the deck to start work.
The bosun instructed the AB to chip and prepare the deck crane’s base plate ready for painting, whilst the deck rating would work with the bosun, finishing a painting job in the bosun’s store (in the forecastle).
The chief officer also asked the bosun to test the weathertight doors to the bosun’s store, replace any worn or damaged rubber packing and, if necessary, adjust the doors to make a tight seal. The bosun’s method of checking the packing was to close the door and visually check if any light was visible, then that area would be marked and the rubber packing would be replaced.
Work continued on deck throughout the day and into the afternoon when, at around 15:00, the crew went for their afternoon break. During the break, the bosun left the mess and walked back to the bosun’s store. The crew continued with their break until they left to restart work at around 15:30.
The deck rating walked to the bosun’s store in order to locate the bosun and ask about the next task. Entering the store shortly after 15:35, he found the bosun lying on his back, on the deck—holding a portable lamp and extension cable in his left hand.
The deck rating went to see if the bosun was OK and, when he touched him, he received an electric shock. He then quickly went to the bulkhead and unplugged the extension cable and then left to get help. On deck he met the chief officer, who rushed to the ship’s office to raise the alarm using the public address system. He then took oxygen from the hospital and returned to the bosun‘s store.
With the chief officer away, the deck rating managed to remove the cable and lamp from the bosun’s hand and, when assistance arrived, the crew moved the bosun outside and started cardiopulmonary resuscitation and, when it arrived, administered oxygen.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation continued whilst moving the bosun towards the ship’s hospital between repetitions. At around 15:55 they arrived at the ship’s hospital where the chief officer attempted to use an Automated External Defibrillator, but no heart activity was found. At 16:00 the bosun was declared deceased.
Conclusions
The bosun was electrocuted when he came into contact with electricity through the portable lamp he was carrying. The extension cable’s residual current device did not operate, nor did the ship’s system protect the bosun from the current leakage.
The source of current leakage was not confirmed by laboratory tests but the lamp’s electric cable was constructed of two different diameter cables that had been jointed in a way that adversely affected protection.
There was no formal assessment of risks associated with portable electrical equipment and the vessel’s safety management system did not include a system for control or testing of portable electrical equipment.
The first responder received an electrical shock when he touched the victim and was fortunate to have not to have been injured.
At least three seafarers have lost their lives through electrocution from portable cargo lights in a two-year period.
Action taken
As a result of the casualty, Saint Michael Shipping Co. Ltd. has:
- Replaced portable floodlights with low voltage equivalent (36V AC)
- Conducted a fleet-wide inspection of all portable electrical lighting systems
- Incorporated inspection of electrical cables and insulation resistance tests into their Planned Maintenance System
- Provided safety training on electrical hazards and the use of portable electric tools
Recommendations
The investigation found that there is no regulatory mandate to test portable electrical equipment and available guidance is limited in scope. Therefore, it is recommended that The Bahamas Maritime Authority:
- Incorporate verification of the safe management of portable electrical equipment into the BMA’s fleet inspection program.
- Propose to the International Maritime Organization, together with other interested States, the introduction of standards to ensure the safety of portable electrical equipment used onboard ships.
