In its recently-released Safety Flashes, IMCA describes a case where a crewmember stopped unsafe cargo operations.
The incident
During third-party cargo operations from the dock to the vessel it was noticed that the lift was being conducted using a wire set with no colour code and the cargo/metal box had no valid certification marks.
The Second Officer immediately stopped the work and asked the client’s lifting supervisor to provide relevant assurance on lifting gear and cargo certification.
No evidence was provided, and so the cargo was left on the quay and quarantined afterward.
What went right?
- Stop Work Authority was properly and correctly exercised by the Second Officer, demonstrating a duty of care and a good example to the entire crew;
- The deck officer fully understood the requirements for lifting equipment and rightly stopped the work when he observed that the requirements could not be met.
Lessons learned
- KNOW the lifting requirements and colour coding systems in use on your vessel and by your company’s clients;
- INSPECT lifting equipment before activities start to ensure that all requirements are met;
- EMPOWER any person on the crew to stop the job if it is unsafe.
