‘Bypassing Safety Controls’ was the most often broken rule accounting for 48% of the 148 incidents analyzed by the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) in 2020.
During last year, IMCA made an important change to the template for submission of safety flashes, having aligned safety reporting to IOGP’s Life-Saving Rules.
- Bypassing Safety Controls
- Confined Space
- Driving
- Energy Isolation
- Hot Work
- Line of Fire
- Safe Mechanical Lifting
- Work Authorization
- Working at Height
This change enabled those reporting incidents to indicate into which of the nine IOGP Life-Saving Rules (or category) the given incident or event might fall. The top 3 most broken rules were:
- ‘Bypassing Safety Controls’ – 48%
- ‘Line of Fire (including drops)’ – 30%; and
- ‘Safe Mechanical Lifting’ -13% .
Each of the nine Rules highlights a key action to prevent fatal injuries during activities that are high risk. Designed as actions individuals can take to protect themselves and their peers, every Rule is geared to a critical area where repeated fatalities have occurred,
…Nick Hough, Technical Adviser – HSSE explained.
In its annual overview for 2020, IMCA noted the following:
- Fewer fire-related incidents reported last year (6% last year, 14% in 2019).
- Near misses and potential incidents – 11% of reported events and incidents were of this sort in 2020. This was fewer than in 2019, but more than in 2018.
- As in 2019, 10% of reported events and incidents involved injuries to hands, fingers and thumbs.
- 10% of reported events and incidents involved cranes or cargo.
- 10% of reported events and incidents involved dropped objects.
