Transport Malta has issued an investigation report regarding a serious injury onboard MV Halcyon while the crew organised an emergency recovery of the chain. The operation involved picking up the anchor chain. During the heaving process, the hydraulic motor of the windlass broke down resulting in serious injury to a crew member.
At one point in time, after an hour of steady progress, the anchor chain strained and twisted. At that moment the fitter was handling the shackle. Consequently, two fingers of his left hand were caught and crushed between the shackle and the chain link. It was immediately evident that the injuries were serious and required urgent and specialized medical assistance.
The immediate case of the accident was considered to be the anchor chain’s straining and twisting. At that moment, the fitter was handling the shackle when two of his left hand fingers were caught and crushed between the shackle and the chain link.
The effects of the swell on the ship and the possible consequential movements of the chain appear to have caused the accident. It has to be acknowledged, however, that it would have been very difficult for the crew members to qualify and quantify the true risk, given that circumstances may lead people to perceive risk very differently.
Moreover, the less knows about the dynamics of the task being undertaken (on the actual process), the higher the possibility that hazards are not foreseen, hence compromising the understanding of the risks involved
Find out more details by reading the report
Source: Transport Malta
