The Marine Safety Forum (MSF) has issued a safety alert to draw lessons learned from an incident in which chemicals made contact with a cook’s eyes onboard.
During the routine cleaning of the galley after dinner service was complete, the vessel cook was using Foaming Oven Cleaner, which contained Sodium Hydroxide. He had sprayed the cleaner into the cooker hood, leaving it a while for the cleaner to activate. He then went back to inspect the area that was being cleaned when some of the chemical cleaner dropped from the cooker hood, falling between the cook’s prescription glasses and his left eye.
The cleaning solution made contact with the cook’s left eyeball, causing severe irritation and a burning sensation. The crewmember contacted the vessel Master, who then initiated a thorough cleanse of the crewmember’s eye using sterile eye wash and Fluorescein Eye Drops. As a precautionary measure, the Coastguard Doctor was called, who advised that the crewmember should be medevac’d and was airlifted to a local hospital for review and further treatment.
Cause
- Crewmember not wearing the correct protective eyewear.
- Lack of situational awareness and not adhering to the guidelines provided on the substance Safety Data Sheet.
- Perception that normal prescription eyewear would guard against chemical contact.
Lessons learned
The following actions were taken by the vessel/vessel owner:
The crewmember’s eye was flushed using several liters of sterile eyewash, and Fluorescein eye drops were also administered. Medical advice was sought, and a medical evacuation to a local hospital was recommended.
Any routine task requiring the use of chemicals needs to be closely supervised.
