The Dutch Safety Board has issued report investigating a fatal accident onboard reefer ship Cool Expreso which occurred on August 7th, 2014 during transfer at sea of pallets containing frozen fish packages from the fishing vessel Annelies Ilena. At the end of the shift, the final pallet was labelled by an Annelies Ilena crew member on board Cool Expreso. The pallet shifted and trapped the crew member between the railing and the pallet, fatally wounding the crew member.
Both ships were sailing under the Dutch Flag. Following this incident, the Dutch Safety Board institute an investigation. Following the investigation, the Board considers it likely tha the deceased crew member became trapped between the platform containing pallets and railing when the pallet was hoisted while the crew member was still attaching labels.
Conlusions
Following the investigation the Boars considers it likely that deceased crew member became trapped between the platform containing pallets and railing when the pallet was holisted while the crew member was still attaching labels.
- The standard practice was to attach the pallets to crane only after labeling had finished.During the incident ,to get themselves ready for return to their own vessel,the platform containing pallets was attached before labeling was finished.
- The crane driver could not see the victim from his position.Had someone given hand signals to the crane driver,this problem would have been solved.
- It is noteworthy that none of the crane drivers(both on Annelies Ilena and on Cool Expreso) had much experience with crane activities as carried out on board the reefer ship
- Although transfer at sea was considered a high-risk operation by the Annelies Ilena crew,no safety meeting took place,which meant that possible risks were not identified.Even when one of the ships as no SMS,a safety meeting should take place and a more active role is expected from the crew used to working with an SMS.
- The safety measures that were present, as described in the Cool Expreso SMS,were therefore not discussed or applied.The SMS prescribew that crane operations should be supported by someone who gives hand signals to the crane driver.
Lessons learned from the incident
- In spite of the fact that Annelies Ilena crew considered the transfer at sea, which involves crane activities , as being a high-risk operation, no safety meeting was held.Crane activitiew can be performed more safely by indetifying risks and applying present safety measures during implementation of these activities,
- If multiple ships are involved in an operation,make sure that crew of each ship is involved in safety meetings.
- Ensure that as few people as possible are located within the operating region of the crane during crane operations by carrying out operations not directly related to the loading operations at a different moment.In the light of the possible safety benefits, practical and commercial objections to such ab adaptation to work processes should not automatically prevail.
Further information may be found by reading the report below
Source: Dutch Safety Board
