According to IMCA, a crew had observed an unsafe condition on board but continued to operate without taking any actions.
The incident
As a part of the 5-yearly docking, following an inspection, deteriorated seals were found on a number of hatches on a vessel. Preliminary investigation was conducted and after crew feedback, it was revealed that the crew had observed this unsafe condition some while ago, ordered and received new seals, but had continued to operate with no action, waiting for docking in order to replace deteriorated seals.
Hatch seals play a crucial role in a wide variety of marine applications. For example, the hatch seal ensures that no liquid or gas enters the vessel.
After a period of use, seals can deteriorate and become worn. As a result, there is a risk of potential seawater leakage to the engine room, had no action been taken.
Probable cause
- Lack of risk perception and lack of timely action by vessel crew after identifying deteriorated seals – continuing to operate in an unsafe condition, considering waiting until the vessel was docked.
Lessons learned
- “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” is a call to inaction – if something needs dealing with, deal with it now, not later.
