Mars Report – Lessons learned
The Nautical Institute has issued Mars Report referring to an accident in which a crew member sustained severe burns after hot oil made contact with a significant area on his right arm.
The Incident
The vessel was at sea in good weather with no rolling. The galleycrew members were going about their regular duties, preparing forlunch. The second cook lifted a pan containing approximately four litresof hot oil from the stove and walked towards a nearby rack to store itout of the way.
As he tried to place the pan on the rack his right handlost its grip on the pan handle; in a failed attempt to regain grip, thepan, now being held only by the left hand, tilted heavily to the right andthe oil spilled out of the pan. Some of the spilled oil made contact witha significant area on his right arm, causing second degree burns.
The company investigation found, among others, the following:
- The small, all metal handle of the pan did not provide a good grip and had no thermal insulation areas.
- The selected location for placing the oil was inconvenient as itinvolved bending down and reaching into the rack to place the pan.
- The oil was not allowed to sufficiently cool down before being pickedup to move.
- Wearing a full sleeved cooks shirt could have greatly reduced theconsequence of the burn.
The companys safety action subsequent to their investigationincluded among other things;
- Intensify behaviour-based safety observations in the galley
- Revise the company SMS to prohibit shifting of hot oil in pans untilsufficiently cooled.
Source & Image Credit :Mars Reports/ The Nautical Institute
