Lessons learned: System should be in place for crew on medication to be excused from high-risk activities

The incident

The Deceased was on a launch boat attempting to climb a ladder to board a barge when he lost his balance and fell into the sea. The Deceased was rescued and taken to the hospital where he passed away.

Probable cause

• The Deceased was under medication for flu, which could have caused him to be drowsy. He was wearing an inflatable life jacket which had activated after he fell into the sea.
• The rocking of the launch boat due to rough sea conditions could have contributed to the Deceased losing his balance when climbing the ladder.

Lessons learned

• Implement a system for employees on medication to notify their supervisors so that they can be excused from strenuous or high-risk activities such as the climbing of ladders.
• Cover rungs with non-slip materials to improve one’s grip/footing. Always maintain 3-point contact.
• Prior to embarkation/disembarkation, brief workers involved in boat-to-vessel or vessel-toboat transfers on topics such as the method of transfer and use of personal protective equipment (e.g. anti-slip footwear and life jacket). Employers should also ensure that workers are physically fit for the transfer.
• Always observe the environmental/weather conditions. The ladder should not be used for vessel embarkation/disembarkation during adverse weather conditions (e.g. heavy rain, lightning, strong winds and choppy waters).
• Provide adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as anti-slip footwear and life jackets, and ensure that workers always wear them while working near water bodies. In addition, employer should ascertain workers’ ability to swim before deployment to reduce the risk of drowning should workers fall into the water.
• Conduct a thorough RA to identify and mitigate any foreseeable risk that may arise during embarkation or disembarkation of vessels. The RA should cover, but not limited to, health of workers and a response plan for emergencies.