The American P&I Club announced a new initiative aimed at preventing injuries caused by slips, trips and falls, the leading source of injuries on board ships. It includes two related case studies to raise awareness of the hazards associated with slips, trips and falls. The second case study considers the risks of falling from heights below deck.
The incident:
While ascending from a bulk carrier’s cargo hold no. 3, a 52 year old stevedore sustained serious injuries after falling 20 feet (6 meters) from the cargo hold’s fixed vertical ladder onto the cargo hold’s tank top. He was found face down and unconscious.
This incident resulted from the stevedore having grasped a weakened wooden batten board at the top of the ladderwell that broke while trying to climb off of the ladder. At the time of the incident, the ladderwell configuration offered no better option to hold onto at the top of the ladder.
A few months later, a similar incident transpired. In this instance, a 54 year old stevedore descended into cargo hold no. 2 and fell from the fixed ladderwell platform. As in the prior incident, it was discovered that the ladderwell hold design and configuration did not provide sufficient hand holds at the top of the ladder to prevent his falling. Eventually, modifications were made in order to ensure that grip bars above the ladder were installed above the ladder as seen in the figure.
Actual Injuries: The stevedores sustained neurological, orthopedic, psychological injuries and one of them was rendered a quadriplegic.
Potential Risks: Serious bodily injury or death. Working inside a ship’s cargo hold or tank may not always be regarded as working aloft but presents many of the same hazards. Some vertical ladders in cargo holds may be narrow, cramped, poorly lit, humid and uncomfortable. Members should consider proper safeguards that can prevent or reduce the possibility of such falls.
Please click below to view what the American P&I Club recommends
SAFETY4SEA Team met Mrs Dorothea Ioannou, Global Business Development Director, The American P&I Club at Posidonia 2016, June 6-10, Metropolitan Expo, Athens for an interview with respect Club’s loss prevention initiatives.
Pls click here to view the YouTube video
Source: The American P&I Club