MSF presents an incident where a routine lifting operation in the North Sea led to a heli-fuel tank snagging on a nearby container bridle, highlighting the challenges of restricted visibility.
The incident
During a routine lifting operation in the North Sea, the crane operator attempted to lift a heli-fuel tank that became snagged on a nearby container bridle. Both lifts remained suspended over the vessel’s main deck while the operator worked to free the snagged load and find a safe landing location. After several attempts, the crane operator safely landed the suspended load on deck, freeing the snag. The vessel deck crew implemented a ‘clear deck and hands-free’ policy, remaining in a safe location throughout.
Cause
The exact moment when the bridle became snagged is unclear—whether it occurred during transit due to vessel movement or while the heli-tank was being hoisted. The heli-tank was positioned on the outside of the stow but was surrounded on three sides by other containers. The restricted line of sight may have prevented the vessel’s deck crew from detecting the snag before the lift was initiated.
Lessons learned
The risk of snagging within open-frame containers is well understood. While the deck cargo was initially stowed following best practices, in hindsight, retrieving one of the adjacent lifts first could have provided a clearer line of sight and potentially prevented the snag.
Cherry picking is prohibited, and we must ensure sufficient space on deck so snagged lifts can be landed safely when something goes wrong.
Moving forward, all personnel should remain mindful of this risk during loading and discharging operations. If there is any uncertainty regarding a hazard, it must always be treated as if it exists.
