The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority (NSIA) released an investigation report regarding an incident where a workboat sank after colliding with its own pipe tow.
The incident
On Thursday 15 February 2024, the workboat Maya sank west of Karmøy after several collisions with its own pipe tow. It was towing a 120.2-tonne and 305-metre-long pipe with a tow eye mounted at both ends. The weather and sea conditions were challenging, and the damage occurred as the vessel attempted to reconnect the tow, after a towing connection broke.
The vessel sustained extensive punctures to its hulls and the water ingress was greater than its pumping capacity. The crew evacuated to the shipping company’s other vessel without sustaining any physical injury.
The investigation has shown that the equipment used during the towing operation was not fit for purpose. The endless lifting slings used as part of the towing arrangement were certified for lifts and were fastened in such a way that they chafed on the flange of the pipe and broke on two occasions. The use of such slings as part of towing arrangements was common practise on board, and it was this equipment they had available on board.
In addition, the crew lacked important information about the pipe’s technical specifications before the start of the mission, and therefore lacked the prerequisites to plan a safe execution of the towing operation.
Moreover, the company’s safety management system was not sufficiently adapted to the vessel’s operations and not sufficiently implemented on board. Towing operations were described at a generic level and did not provide the crew with sufficient support in planning and carrying out towing operations. The shipping company therefore lacked a well-functioning barrier for safe operation.
The NSIA investigation has also revealed that the shipping company had not ensured that the skippers had the necessary qualifications to carry out towing operations. The syllabus in the towing course included several areas that were relevant to this towing operation.
Furthermore, the oral planning meeting before departure was, according to the NSIA’s assessment, not adequate as a risk assessment. The safety management system described how a risk assessment was to be carried out, but the crew had not been trained in this by the shipping company.
The removal of towing permits from the regulations and their subsequent replacement with companies’ internal control places higher demands on the shipping companies to ensure that towing operations are performed safely.
The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority submitted one safety recommendation to the shipping company based on this investigation.
