Transport Malta investigation: Rope failure leads to fall from height onboard

Transport Malta MSIU issued an investigation report on the damage to equipment, leading to a fall from a height on deck, onboard the crude oil tanker MT Alyarmouk in May 2019. The fall was caused by the parting of the rope used to suspend the seafarer’s chair. His safety harness, secured by a clove hitch, failed to arrest the fall.

The incident

MT Alyarmouk was drifting in the vicinity of the Panama Pacific Lightering Area, awaiting commencement of cargo operations.

As no cargo operations were scheduled on 10 May 2019, it was decided to carry out scheduled routine maintenance of the hose handling crane.

The bosun was perched on a bosun’s chair, to carry out maintenance on the head of the crane’s jib, while three other seafarers were assisting him from other locations.

The chief officer was supervising the task. As attempts to complete the job were proving to be unsuccessful, it was decided to suspend the task and complete it at a later stage.

While lowering the bosun’s chair, the rope, by which it was suspended, parted and the bosun, in spite of wearing a safety harness, fell down a height of about 3.7 metres onto the main deck.

Following medical evacuation, it was reported that the bosun had suffered from a fractured left heel and three fractured ribs.

Immediate cause of the fall

The bosun fell onto the main deck following the failure of rope A, from which the bosun’s chair was suspended, while he was perched on the bosun’s chair.

Furthermore, the bosun had re-secured the safety harness to rope B using a clove hitch, before the bosun’s chair was lowered. The securing knot slid along the length of rope B and did not arrest his fall.

Conclusions

1. The injured seafarer fell while he was being lowered from a height at which he was working, and suffered serious injuries as a result of the fall.
2. The fall was caused by the parting of the rope used to suspend the bosun’s chair on which the seafarer was perched, while his safety harness, secured by a clove hitch, failed to arrest the fall.
3. The rope parted due to localised abrasive damage in the vicinity of the part which was passing through the pad eye of the cranes’ jib, while the task was being carried out.
4. Additional safeguards, as identified by the risk assessment and which could have either arrested or cushioned the fall, were not in place.

Actions taken

During the course of the safety investigation, the Company adopted the following safety actions:

1. agreed to review and revise its procedures to ensure that all ropes used to carry personnel or loads are supplied with certificates;
2. agreed to review its procedures to include references to relevant sections of the Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seamen;
3. compiled a reflective training module, based on this accident, which was used as a training tool on board its fleet of vessels, as well as during crew seminars; and
4. published a safety bulletin, applicable to all of its fleet, based on this accident.

Recommendations

The MSIU has issued two recommendations to the company aimed at preventing recurrence of such accidents. Transport Malta recommended the owner to:

• draw the attention of its shipboard staff on the importance of a vessel specific risk assessment.
• review and update the relevant job safety analysis (risk assessment) form prepared for working at a height, to ensure that it reflects the latest guidelines and the industry’s best practices for working at a height.

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