As UK MAIB reports in its most recent Safety Digest, the crew of a pusher tug were disconnecting lines from a cargo barge when the master, who was at the helm in the wheelhouse, heard a distressing scream from the tug’s aft deck.
The cargo barge ahead of the pusher tug was made fast with connecting lines that were attached to small manually operated coupling winches on the aft deck of the tug and passed forward to secure the barge. The tug’s design limited visibility of the aft deck from the wheelhouse and the master and crew used handheld radios to communicate. Under the master’s guidance, two crew members were operating the starboard coupling winch to release the lines securing the barge; however, they contravened the vessel’s standard operating procedure by not removing a cranking handle connected to the winch drum.
When the winch brake was released the tension in the line connected to the cargo barge caused the winch drum, and still attached cranking handle, to spin uncontrollably. The spinning cranking handle violently struck one of the crew members, fracturing their wrist and inflicting significant pain. The crew member
was evacuated from the tug by a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat and transferred to hospital for treatment. The crew member was unable to return to work for several months due to the severity of their injury.
Lessons learned
- Risk → The pusher tug’s crew might have identified the risk posed by the hazard of the still attached cranking handle had they collectively taken a moment to undertake a dynamic risk assessment rather than rush to complete the task. Empowering crew to identify hazards, assess the risks involved and report their concerns contributes to a proactive on board safety culture and reduces the likelihood of accidents.
- Monitor → The master could not safely undertake the simultaneous tasks of steering the pusher tug and trying to control the aft deck operations from a position of limited visibility. The use of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) to provide operational oversight from a remote position can help to identify any safety issues and take immediate preventative action.
- Procedure → It is easy to overlook health and safety responsibilities while undertaking regular operational activities. The connection and disconnection of a cargo barge secured by lines to the coupling winches was a routine task for the crew of the pusher tug, but their failure to follow procedure on this
occasion resulted in serious injury. Toolbox talks provide an opportunity to remind those involved of the correct process for the task, why it is important, and how to complete it safely.
