In its latest safety report IMCA analysed an accident concerning a seafarer suffering from a serious hand injury while using a quick release mattress handling beam. The causes addressed in the report were the lack of communication between the crew members and the design of the pin engagement mechanism and the width of the slings.
The Incident
A crewman suffered a major hand injury while working on subsea mattress recovery by using a quick release mattress handling beam. Then, the lifting webbing slings and ROV hooks were cut off from the mattress. Following that, while reconnecting the beam, two of the pins didn’t manage to fully engage because the slings got caught by the pins. Along with the seafarer attempting to free the sling, another crew member used the quick release bar. This had as a result to re-engage the pin and trap the injured person’s finger.
Probable Cause
IMCA’s member addresses that this incident took place during the hours of darkness, and recorded the following reasons for occurrence:
- The design of the pin engagement mechanism and the width of the slings
- There was a breakdown in communication between the deck crew members; the injured person was not clear of the pins when the mechanism was re-engaged.
Lessons Learned
• Attaching rope grommets or tie wraps to the end of the slings to help keep the sling in place when engaging the pins and to keep fingers out of line of fire is under consideration;
• There is a clear and defined sequence of operation and communications protocol addressing what commands are to be called, when and by whom. Communication and commands to include:
#1the use of an ‘all clear’ command and a confirmation that all personnel are clear, prior to activation and operation of the quick release bar
#2the use of a ‘worksite is safe’ command when it is safe to connect/re-connect slings to the beam;
• There is a ‘run through’ and a test of the communications protocol takes place with all personnel involved in the task during pre-job TBTs, shift handovers and when there is a change of crew.