Tag: lessons learned

Corrective and preventative actions One vessel was to move from her berth (port side alongside) and tie up at another berth (starboard side alongside) further up the dock. A pilot and two harbour tugs arrived at the designated time and Master - Pilot information was exchanged before commencing the movement. The pilot requested that the port accommodation ladder be hoisted by only a few metres and retained there, as he intended to use it for disembarking from the 'sea' side at the next berth. Due to the ship's draught, height of the pier and the state of tide, in this 'raised' position, the gangway was only about a metre clear of the jetty.During the unmooring operation, there was a strong off-shore wind and moderate rain, and due to the latter, both the Master and the Pilot remained inside the wheelhouse throughout. On the pilot's advice, all headlines and sternline(s) were first let go, retaining only the backsprings fore and aft. After the sternline(s) had been retrieved on board, the deck officer in charge of the aft mooring station went over to the backspring winch, which was situated on the starboard main deck, forward of the accommodation. He engaged the gear ...

Experience Feedback Tanker was proceeding with a Pilot on board to anchor in the designated area for bunkering in a large Asian port. While she approached on a southeasterly heading, a large multi-tug tow was observed right ahead on a reciprocal course.The Pilot informed the VTS of his intention to pass red to red with the tow, and after passing, to adjust the planned track to arrive at the designated spot in the anchorage area. He then ordered starboard ten in order to pass the tow to port and reduced the speed quickly from harbour full ahead to dead slow ahead.A short while later, the rudder was ordered back to midship. By then, the vessel had already attained a considerable rate of turn to starboard, so the Pilot ordered the rudder to port ten, followed immediately by port twenty and finally hard to port. However, the vessel continued her rapid swing to starboard, forcing the Pilot to order increased ahead speeds in an attempt to arrest the starboard swing.Despite these actions - putting the rudder hard to port and increasing the speed to full ahead - the vessel continued her starboard swing. Simultaneously, the vessel was closing rapidly with an ...

Corrective and preventative actions After maintenance work was completed inside the after peak tank (APT), the second engineer entered the space to inspect and verify the work. The necessary pre-entry checks and entry/work permits were filled out and signed by the designated officers and the chief officer on the bridge was informed of the entry in the APT. Adequate lighting was provided inside the tank.With the chief engineer monitoring the operation from outside the tank's manhole, the second engineer entered the tank, and climbed down the vertical ladder leading down from the entrance to the first stringer flat, followed by the oiler.As the second engineer stepped aside to make way for the oiler, he inadvertently stepped into the nearest lightening hole, lost his balance, and fell awkwardly on the stringer flat. He was able to extricate himself from the lightening hole, and exited the tank without assistance.The incident was quickly communicated to the bridge and Master via the chief engineer, and the emergency team mustered rapidly at the site. The second engineer was then examined by the Master and the designated medical officer. The fall had inflicted some bruises on his torso. He was administered first aid and resumed normal ...

The second engineer was unable to open the lift shaft doors A large container vessel was in port, undergoing a preliminary environmental compliance inspection, which, among other items, required the pit of the lift shaft (lift trunk) to be checked for oil residues. The lift car (elevator cage) was at the designated position on the lowest deck, but the second engineer was unable to open the lift shaft doors to gain access to the lift pit.The chief engineer intervened to resolve the problem. Without stating his intentions, he entered the lift car, climbed through the escape hatch on the top, and shut the hatch behind him.The second engineer reset the lift controls, incorrectly assuming that the chief engineer had taken manual control of the lift from the panel on top of the lift car. However, the chief engineer had not done so, and when the second engineer reset the system, the lift was returned to its normal automatic operating mode.Suddenly, possibly in response to a random call from a higher deck, the lift car moved upwards at its usual operating speed and trapped the chief engineer against the door sill of the deck above, asphyxiating him. It is not known ...

During berthing of a Hong Kong registered container vessel in Kobe, Japan, a mooring rope on board the vessel parted and killed two workmen at the berth.