The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (Commission) has published a new report regarding an incident that occurred on board bulk carrier Mount Hikurangi when a deck cadet fell from the stack of logs 10 metres onto the wharf below, then into the sea while applying chain lashings to the logs that had been loaded above deck .
The incident
On 27 February 2016, the bulk carrier Mount Hikurangi had just completed loading a cargo of logs at the port of Tauranga.
The deck cadet was working about eight metres above the ship’s main deck, which was 10 metres above the quayside and 12 metres above the water. He was not wearing a safety harness attached to a fall-arrestor device.
The deck cadet was giving hand signals to the crane driver, indicating the movements he required of the crane as he prepared to attach the lashing chain to the lifting hook. Video footage showed him standing at the edge of the cargo with his left hand holding the stanchion for security.
As he bent down to attach the chain to the lifting hook he let go of the stanchion. Using both hands, he appeared to have difficulty attaching the chain to the hook and partially stood before bending down again. Seconds later he lost his balance and fell overboard. Hedid not survive this fall. His body was recovered by divers a number of hours later.
It cannot be determined with certainty what caused the cadet to lose his balance and fall. The video footage showed that before the cadet had time to step clear and signal the crane driver, the main crane hook was already swinging and moving upwards. It is possible that the wire came under tension and caught on some part of his body or clothing, or equally possible that he just lost his balance and fell.
Once the deck cadet lost his balance, there was nothing to prevent his falling
Findings
The deck cadet was not wearing a safety harness attached to a fall arrestor while working close to the edge of the log stack, despite a company requirement to do so.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (Commission) found that the crew on Mount Hikurangi routinely did not follow company procedures by working on top of log cargoes without the required safety harnesses.
The Commission also found that there was little evidence of a strong safety culture on board Mount Hikurangi at the time.
The safety actions taken by the ship operator and Maritime New Zealand negated the need for the Commission to make any recommendations.
Lessons learned:
- all crew members must wear safety harnesses, preferably connected to fall arrestors, when working at height
- a strong safety culture must be established and promoted from the highest levels of management on board a ship. It must be encouraged, monitored and enforced throughout all levels of the organisation so that best safety practices are followed.
Further details may be found in the accident report herebelow
Source: TAIC
