In its latest Safety Digest, UK MAIB reports an incident where a deckhand slipped on loose aggregate and fell backwards between a barge and the quayside, and into the river.
The incident
A small tug was secured alongside an aggregate barge to reposition it ready for loading at a river aggregate quay.
During the repositioning operation, the tug’s deckhand was required to go ashore from the barge to move a rope to the next bollard. It was close to high water and there was a drop to the quayside, so the deckhand sat on the edge of the barge before pushing himself of, jumping over a gap of around 1m between the barge and the quay.
As he landed on the quayside, the deckhand slipped on loose aggregate and fell backwards between the barge and the quayside, and into the river, where his lifejacket immediately inflated.
Quickly spotting this, the mate informed the tug’s master, who held the barge away from the quay. The engineer threw a life-ring on a line to the deckhand, and with this the deckhand was able to swim to a nearby ladder and exit the water. Once the barge was secured, he then re-boarded the tug, showered, changed his clothes and proceeded to hospital for a checkup. There, he was confirmed to be uninjured.
Lessons learned
- The deckhand involved in this incident was lucky. He fell into the water and did not become crushed between the barge and the quay. In many similar incidents, including a number investigated by the MAIB, people have been killed or seriously injured. Jumping any distance to get ashore or onto another vessel is extremely dangerous, even more so when the landing surface is slippery. Stepping across a small gap may be acceptable provided the vessel is stopped and held alongside securely, but the crossing should be level. In this case a ladder was available and, once the barge was alongside, would have removed the need to jump. Guidance on safe access ashore is given in MGN 591 (M+F) and the Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seafarers (COSWP).
- Although a toolbox talk had taken place before this operation, the safety of the access method was not challenged as it had become ‘normal’ practice. All methods of access to vessels must be robustly risk assessed, and it is the owners’ and masters’ responsibility to ensure that safe access is provided, and used correctly, every time. Just because something has become ‘normal’ practice does not make it safe. If you think something is unsafe, speak up.
In addition, the deckhand was wearing a lifejacket, conditions were relatively benign, and he did not suffer cold shock. Therefore, thankfully he was able to pull himself out of the river uninjured. The crew were drilled and organised:
- When was the last time you practised a manoverboard drill?
- How quickly could you recover someone who has become incapacitated by cold water, in the dark?
- Does everyone on board know the procedure?
