A wave hit the stern of a platform supply vessel (PSV) and caused the cargo to move. The incident took place while the PSV was working both stern to weather and stern towards the rig, IMCA informed.
The incident
A wave struck the stern of a platform supply vessel (PSV) and caused the cargo to shift. The incident happened whilst the PSV was working both stern to weather and stern towards the rig.
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The wind was 19 m/s and there was a significant wave height of 3.2m. As the cargo operation was about to begin, a large wave hit the stern of the ship and water came over the deck.
This caused the cargo to move, while at that time one crew member was located on the deck in an unsafe position, close to the containers. No injuries were reported.
Probable cause
A number of factors contributed in this incident, with Marine Safety Forum identifying the following as the most important:
- Big wave hit the stern of the vessel;
- Flawed design due to the reduced height of stern rail (1.4 meter);
- Failure to identify risk;
- The cargo was not secured related to ‘green sea’;
- The position of the vessel in comparison to the wind/sea conditions and rig crane.
Lessons learned
After the incident, measures to ensure safety during such a situation include:
- Limit crew exposure on deck during cargo operations;
- Vessels with open/low stern rail have to consider alternative positioning of vessel to avoid stern towards weather;
- Update Risk Assessment to cover for ‘green sea on deck’;
- Never position yourself in between deck cargo if it can be avoided;
- Always ensure safe escape route.
