Subscribe to our Mailing Lists (It's free!)
Friday, May 27, 2022
SAFETY4SEA
  • Home
  • Safety
    • All
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
    day of the seafarer 2022

    IMO: Seafaring is a noble profession

    port of brisbane

    ATSB investigates breakaway incidents in Port of Brisbane

    marking labels symbols

    Lessons learned: Pay close attention to labels, markings and symbols

    barge loses containers

    Watch: Container barge loses 12 containers overboard

  • Green
    • All
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
    ship it zero coalition

    Ship it Zero coalition: Shipping companies should invest in zero-emissions technologies and fuels

    oil spill port elizabeth

    Oil spill occurs during oil transfer at Port Elizabeth

    port of tallinn port of gdynia

    Port of Tallinn, Port of Gdynia to collaborate on hydrogen management

    canada ballast form

    How to properly submit the Canadian Ballast Water Reporting form

  • Smart
    • All
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
    cyber attack port of london

    Cyber-attack targets Port of London Authority

    emsa drones

    EMSA drones monitor sulphur and nitrogen emissions from ships in the English Channel

    Port of Antwerp

    New agreement to advance vessel automation pilot programs in Belgium

    port of long beach

    Port of Long Beach, Amazon collaborate to improve cargo data

  • Risk
    • All
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Focus
    captain arrested

    Captain of cargo vessel arrested for drink-driving

    glencore

    Glencore pleas guilty to foreign bribery and market manipulation

    ship owner guilty environmental crime

    US: Ship owner and operator plead guilty to environmental and safety crimes

    us seizes oil from tanker

    US seizes oil from Russian tanker

  • Others
    • All
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Reports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
    day of the seafarer 2022

    IMO: Seafaring is a noble profession

    north standard merger

    Merger of North and Standard Club receives approval

    uscg ystems Containing Plastic Pipe

    USCG: Review of systems containing plastic pipe

    russian ships eu ports

    Ban of Russian ships in EU ports: Everything you need to know

  • Columns
    Wind Propulsion: Building a level playing field for the decarbonization of shipping

    Wind Propulsion: Building a level playing field for the decarbonization of shipping

    worker dies at chittagong

    EU Taxonomy & Ship Recycling

    Fleet Safety to modernise maritime distress communication

    Fleet Safety to modernise maritime distress communication

    Trending Tags

    • Career Paths
    • Industry Voices
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
  • Events
  • Plus
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Safety
    • All
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
    day of the seafarer 2022

    IMO: Seafaring is a noble profession

    port of brisbane

    ATSB investigates breakaway incidents in Port of Brisbane

    marking labels symbols

    Lessons learned: Pay close attention to labels, markings and symbols

    barge loses containers

    Watch: Container barge loses 12 containers overboard

  • Green
    • All
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
    ship it zero coalition

    Ship it Zero coalition: Shipping companies should invest in zero-emissions technologies and fuels

    oil spill port elizabeth

    Oil spill occurs during oil transfer at Port Elizabeth

    port of tallinn port of gdynia

    Port of Tallinn, Port of Gdynia to collaborate on hydrogen management

    canada ballast form

    How to properly submit the Canadian Ballast Water Reporting form

  • Smart
    • All
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
    cyber attack port of london

    Cyber-attack targets Port of London Authority

    emsa drones

    EMSA drones monitor sulphur and nitrogen emissions from ships in the English Channel

    Port of Antwerp

    New agreement to advance vessel automation pilot programs in Belgium

    port of long beach

    Port of Long Beach, Amazon collaborate to improve cargo data

  • Risk
    • All
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Focus
    captain arrested

    Captain of cargo vessel arrested for drink-driving

    glencore

    Glencore pleas guilty to foreign bribery and market manipulation

    ship owner guilty environmental crime

    US: Ship owner and operator plead guilty to environmental and safety crimes

    us seizes oil from tanker

    US seizes oil from Russian tanker

  • Others
    • All
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Reports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
    day of the seafarer 2022

    IMO: Seafaring is a noble profession

    north standard merger

    Merger of North and Standard Club receives approval

    uscg ystems Containing Plastic Pipe

    USCG: Review of systems containing plastic pipe

    russian ships eu ports

    Ban of Russian ships in EU ports: Everything you need to know

  • Columns
    Wind Propulsion: Building a level playing field for the decarbonization of shipping

    Wind Propulsion: Building a level playing field for the decarbonization of shipping

    worker dies at chittagong

    EU Taxonomy & Ship Recycling

    Fleet Safety to modernise maritime distress communication

    Fleet Safety to modernise maritime distress communication

    Trending Tags

    • Career Paths
    • Industry Voices
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
  • Events
  • Plus
No Result
View All Result
SAFETY4SEA

Viking Islay enclosed space fatalities: Rescuers becoming victims

by The Editorial Team
May 20, 2019
in Accidents, Maritime Knowledge
viking islay

Access hatches to chainlocker / Credit: UK MAIB

FacebookTwitterEmailLinkedin

In 2007, the enclosed space fatality incident onboard the ERRV vessel Viking Islay off UK shocked shipping community as three men died successively trying to rescue one another. Enclosed space entry has been over the years the hidden enemy for crews as the hazard is not always obvious and although the industry has repeatedly rung the bell on this, this kind of incidents has yet to be eliminated.

Accident details: At a glance

  • Type of accident: Enclosed space fatality
  • Vessel(s) involved: Viking Islay (Emergency Response Rescue Vessel)
  • Date: 23 September 2007
  • Place: off East Yorkshire, UK
  • Fatalities: Three
  • Pollution: No

The incident

RelatedNews

ATSB investigates breakaway incidents in Port of Brisbane

Watch: Container barge loses 12 containers overboard

On 29 September 2007, the ERRV ‘Viking Islay’ was in the North Sea conducting rig support operations, when two crew onboard went forward to secure a rattling anchor chain within the chain locker.

One of the seamen entered the chain locker and collapsed. It is probable that the other seaman, realising that help was urgently required, raised the alarm with the duty watchkeeping rating on the bridge before he, too, entered the chain locker in an attempt to help his companion. He also collapsed.

During the consequent rescue efforts, the first rescuer found he was unable to enter the chain locker wearing a BA, and he therefore donned an EEBD.

He entered the space, but at some point the hood of the EEBD was removed, or became dislodged and he also collapsed.

 

Fatalities

All three seamen who entered the confined space were declared dead.

 

 

Liability

The Master of the vessel was taken to court for failing to discharge his duties properly, but was acquitted of charges. However, the judge fined the firm £160,000 for sailing to provide an oxygen meter and £80,000 for failing to evaluate the efficiency of its SMS and £40,000 for failing to ensure the third engineer had the appropriate certificate of competency.

 

Probable causes

  • The official investigation report identified as immediate cause of the accident “an oxygen deficient atmosphere within the chain locker”, caused by natural on-going corrosion of the steel structure and anchor chain within the space.
  • The crew of Viking Islay failed to recognise the chain locker was a potentially dangerous enclosed space, or the likelihood that the atmosphere within the space could become oxygen deficient over time.
  • Training and subsequent drills in the use of EEBDs had not been sufficient to ensure the limitations of the equipment were recognised in an emergency.
  • The ship manager’s company policy on entry into enclosed spaces was not clear and did not take into account scenarios that could require crews to enter confined spaces while at sea.
  • The audit regime employed by the ship’s managers to ensure compliance with its SMS failed to detect deficiencies in training, equipment and safety culture onboard Viking Islay.

 

ISM breaches

  • Crew failure to recognize the chain locker was a potentially dangerous enclosed/confined space
  • Well established permit to work measures as per SMS not considered before the space was entered.
  • Unclear manager’s company policy on entry into enclosed spaces (as per SMS)
  • Failure of the audit regime to detect deficiencies in training, equipment and safety culture onboard.


Lessons learned
 

The incident highlighted issues related to breaches of the merchant shipping safety regulations: Poor safety system with too much paperwork that “was a victim of its own complexity”, the court heard, as well as lack of crew training, and inefficient audits.

However, the most serious breach was the firm’s failure to provide an oxygen meter despite a request from the Captain 6 months before the incident, the report read.

On the aftermath, the owner provided portable atmosphere testing equipment onboard its ships and trained key personnel in its use. They also published the lessons learned of this deadly incident and reinforced enclosed space entry requirements.

LEARN FROM THE PAST: Read in this series

Halifax Harbour: One of the largest human-made explosions caused by ships’ collision

Halifax Harbour: One of the largest human-made explosions caused by ships’ collision

May 10, 2022
Sinking of Doña Paz: The world’s deadliest shipping accident

Sinking of Doña Paz: The world’s deadliest shipping accident

March 8, 2022
Wilhelm Gustloff: A forgotten ‘war loss’ of over 9,000 people

Wilhelm Gustloff: A forgotten ‘war loss’ of over 9,000 people

February 14, 2022
Scandinavian Star ferry

Tampomas II: Remembering Indonesia’s deadly ferry sinking

February 10, 2022
Hoegh Osaka accident is a stark warning accident

Hoegh Osaka: Assessing ship stability must not be neglected

January 10, 2022
MV Derbyshire

MV Derbyshire: Remembering largest British ship ever lost at sea

October 4, 2021
Titanic SOLAS

Remembering Titanic: The tragedy behind SOLAS

April 12, 2021
wakashio

MV Wakashio oil spill: A timeline of events in an environmental disaster

February 11, 2021
princess of the orient

Princess of the Orient: Erroneous maneuvering leads to deadly sinking

December 10, 2019
Achille Lauro

Achille Lauro hijacking: A tragic example of maritime terrorism

December 10, 2019
al salam boccaccio 98

Al-Salam Boccaccio 98: Bad weather, poor emergency procedures and over 1,000 people dead in Red Sea

November 28, 2019
Alexander L Kielland

Alexander L. Kielland: Norway’s worst offshore disaster

November 19, 2019
USS Fitzgerald

USS Fitzgerald deadly collision: Poor seamanship in the spotlight

October 22, 2019
piper alpha

Piper Alpha: The world’s deadliest offshore oil disaster

October 17, 2019
amoco cadiz

Amoco Cadiz oil spill: The largest loss of marine life ever

October 8, 2019
estonia sinking

MS Estonia sinking: One of the deadliest accidents in European waters

October 4, 2019
torrey canyon

Torrey Canyon: The world’s first major oil tanker disaster

October 3, 2019
Sanchi

Sanchi: The world’s worst oil tanker disaster in decades

September 27, 2019
el faro

El Faro sinking: Poor seamanship in the spotlight

September 25, 2019
uss john s mccain

USS John S McCain collision: A prime example of poor oversight

September 23, 2019
bulk jupiter

Bulk Jupiter sinking: A stark reminder of bauxite cargo risks

September 20, 2019
ovit grounding

Ovit grounding: ECDIS incompetence and inexperienced crew in vital positions

June 7, 2019
oliva

MS Oliva grounding: Oil spill in one of the world’s most remote areas

May 27, 2019
Cosco Busan

Cosco Busan: Lack of communication, poor oversight and 53,500 gallons of oil in San Francisco Bay

May 21, 2019
viking islay

Viking Islay enclosed space fatalities: Rescuers becoming victims

May 20, 2019
pasha bulker

Pasha Bulker beaching: A mix of poor SMS, fatigue and bad weather

May 17, 2019
bourbon dolphin

Bourbon Dolphin: A tragic example of ISM non-compliance

May 14, 2019
harvest caroline

Harvest Caroline: A case study on improper safety management

May 10, 2019
cougar ace

Cougar Ace: How improper ballast water exchange can prove costly

May 8, 2019
herald of free enterprise

Herald of Free Enterprise: A wake-up call for Ro-Ro safety

April 25, 2019
MT Haven

MT Haven: The worst oil spill ever in the Mediterranean

April 18, 2019
sewol

Sewol sinking: South Korea’s ferry disaster

April 16, 2019
Moby Prince

Moby Prince: Italy’s worst maritime disaster since World War II

April 10, 2019
Stellar Daisy

Learn from the past: Stellar Daisy sinking

April 1, 2019
Superferry14

Superferry14: The world’s deadliest terrorist attack at sea

February 27, 2019
Scandinavian Star ferry

Ocean Ranger: Commemorating North America’s offshore disaster

February 15, 2019
Marine Electric

Marine Electric: The sinking that changed USCG approach on safety

February 12, 2019
erika oil spill

Learn from the past: Erika oil spill, Europe’s environmental disaster

December 12, 2018
prestige sinking

Learn from the past: Prestige sinking, one of the worst oil spills in Europe

November 13, 2018
salvage of mega box ships

Learn from the past: MV Rena grounding

October 29, 2018
eurasian dream

Maritime History: Fire on board car carrier “Eurasian Dream”

July 23, 2018
princess of the stars

Learn from the past: The Princess of the Seas deadly sinking

June 22, 2018
offshore safety rules

Learn from the past: Deepwater Horizon oil spill

April 20, 2018
Scandinavian Star ferry

Learn from the past: Exxon Valdez incident

March 23, 2018
Scandinavian Star ferry

Learn from the past: Bow Mariner incident

February 28, 2018
Costa Concordia

Maritime history: Costa Concordia disaster

January 13, 2018

 


Did you know?

  • Only in three months last year, from September to November 2018, at least 8 enclosed space fatalities onboard four different ships were reported.
  • A recent survey by Intermanager showed that this type of incidents continues shipping lacks a thorough understanding of the risks faced by today’s seafarers, while dangerous timeframes are imposed for hazardous tasks and investigations encourage a ‘blame culture’.
  • According to ITF, since January 2018, a total of 145 seafarers and dockers died in last 20 years from asphyxiation or explosions in confined spaces, and alarmingly 28 in the past 16 months.
  • Over 50% of the workers in enclosed / confined spaces die while attempting to rescue their coworkers, according to USCG.

 

Explore more in the official investigation report:

 

SQE Marine has prepared a detailed checklist aiming to inform about the necessary actions to be followed, in case of rescue from enclosed space, as well as a toolbox meeting guide for enclosed spaces.

Tags: enclosed space entryfatality onboardISM Codelessons learnedMaritime Historysafety management systemstraining

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

day of the seafarer 2022

IMO: Seafaring is a noble profession

May 27, 2022
north standard merger

Merger of North and Standard Club receives approval

May 27, 2022
MARITIME EVENTS

Newsletter

GET THE SAFETY4SEA IN YOUR INBOX!

Explore

  • Safety
  • Green
  • Smart
  • Risk
  • Others
  • Events
  • Plus

Useful Links

  • About
  • Disclaimer
  • Editorial Policies
  • Advertising
  • Contact

© 2021 SAFETY4SEA

No Result
View All Result
  • Safety
    • Alerts
    • Accidents
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
  • Green
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
  • Smart
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
  • Risk
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
  • Others
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Reports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
  • Columns
    • Opinions
    • Career Paths
    • Industry Voices
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
  • Events
  • Plus

© 2021 SAFETY4SEA

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Disclaimer.