Fatal accident during operating of pilot ladder winch
Hong Kong Merchant Shipping Information Note A sailor on board a Hong Kong registered container vessel was killed while he was operating the pilot ladder winch. This Note is to draw the attention of shipowners, ship managers, ship operators, Masters, officers and crew on board Hong Kong registered ships on the important lessons learnt from this accident.The Incident1. A sailor on board a Hong Kong registered container vessel was killed while he was operating the pilot ladder winch. At the time of the accident, the weather was cold and with strong wind. The sailor wore thick winter clothes while working on deck.2. Investigation into the accident revealed that while the sailor was operating the pilot ladder winch to hoist the ladder, he was accidentally dragged / pulled into the reel after being entangled by the reeling pilot ladder. He sustained fatal injury and was certified dead. The report of investigation can be downloaded from Marine Department website at the following link : http://www.mardep.gov.hk/en/publication/pdf/mai091213_f.pdf3. The main contributory factors leading to the accident are:a) the sailor was not aware of the dangers of a reeling pilot ladder and to avoid himself from coming close to it;b) the directional control valve for controlling ...
Read more