On 3 August 2016, a deckhand on board the twin rig prawn trawler Sea Harvester was seriously injured, after being struck on the head by a steel pole, during the recovery of fishing gear that had become caught on an underwater obstruction, in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. He suffered serious, life-changing injuries. The UK MAIB published a report on the accident, providing findings of the investigation and important safety issues.
The incident
The MAIB investigation identified, among other things, that:
- The deckhand was struck by a guide-pole that had been propelled from its socket by the force exerted from fishing gear fastened to the seabed
- The guide-pole arrangement was not constructed to be weight bearing
- The injured deckhand was standing in a dangerous position and his head was not protected by a safety helmet
- Non-compliance with a number of regulatory requirements had the potential to compromise the safety of the vessel and its crew.
- The underwater obstruction caught by Sea Harvester’s trawls was possibly the wreck of the fishing vessel Karen, and the wreck’s position as shown on Admiralty charts might be inaccurate.
Safety Issues Recommendations The owners of Sea Harvester are recommended to take steps to promote the safe operation of their vessels, taking into account, among other things, the importance of: Explore more by reading the full report:
