In its most recent “Good Catch” series, the American Club provides lessons learned from an incident that involved an oiler slipping down the stairs, getting injured.
The oiler was on his way down to the engine room to relieve the watch. His foot slipped off the step and he lost his balance and fell. He was seriously injured. The oiler he was scheduled to relieve found him approximately 15 minutes later and immediately called for assistance.
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The investigation determined that the tread on the stairway was worn. It had been painted numerous times over the years, but each coat appeared to have been added on top of the previous layers of paint.
As a result, the raised tread was significantly less pronounced. Further, adhesive non-skid had been placed on the stair treads, but they, too, had been painted over reducing their effectiveness substantially.
When interviewed by the investigator, the Chief Engineer said it was a sight to behold and one he will never forget unfortunately.
Lessons learned
- How often are safety hazards overlooked because they are seen (or stepped on) every day?
- What is proper maintenance for stair treads?
- What is the best way to raise a safety concern about something like a worn stair tread?
- Who is responsible to raise a concern about a stair tread that has become worn?
