Seniors should guide the juniors;
The fourth engineer and the fitter dismantled the deckhead panelling in an unoccupied spare cabin to carry out maintenance work. After completing the work, they both stood on a bench to fix the panel back in place.
The engineer held the panel in place while the fitter inserted the holding screws of the panel, which was located just inside the entrance to the cabin with the door opening inward.
Hearing noises inside an empty cabin, a curious crewmember suddenly opened the door, knocking the fourth engineer to the deck. The panel fell on top of him, its sharp edge inflicting a deep laceration below the right eye that could have resulted in permanent damage.
Immediate medical treatment was administered by ship staff, including suturing the open wound. The engineer was sent ashore to the doctor for further medical attention at the next port. The accident resulted in a total of five days lost work time.
Root cause/contributory factors
- No risk assessment carried out prior to undertaking the task;
- Cabin door was not locked during the execution of the work;
- No warning notice was posted on the outside of the cabin door;
- Insufficient personal protective equipment Ð wearing helmet and goggles could have avoided or mitigated the injury.
Corrective/preventative actions
- The accident was discussed in detail at a safety meeting called soon after the occurrence;
- Master instructed all ship staff to carry out risk assessment prior to commencing any task;
- The department head and the assigned work team must inspect the site of work and identify the hazards involved;
- Master instructed all department heads to explain assigned tasks in greater detail to their subordinates. As far as possible, this briefing should be done at the job site;
- Seniors, with their greater practical experience, should guide the juniors;
- Management reviewed the accident and circulated its findings and recommendations within the fleet.
Source: Mars/Nautical Institute