UK MAIB issued its report on a 15 May 2019 accident. Then, a third officer onboard the “Seatruck Progress” ro-ro freight ferry was fatally injured after being struck by a semi-trailer, while standing on the stern ramp.
The incident
On 15 May 2019, the Isle of Man registered ro-ro freight vessel “Seatruck Progress” berthed at Brocklebank Dock, Liverpool, England following passage from Dublin, Ireland.
During cargo discharge, the vessel’s third officer, who was overseeing the operations, opened the hatch covers over the lower vehicle deck ramp on the main vehicle deck’s starboard side.
Following there, discharge of cargo from the lower vehicle deck had commenced and five semi-trailers had been towed up the internal ramp and of the ferry by the terminal’s ro-ro tractor units.
Cargo was also being discharged from the upper vehicle deck and the weather deck.
At 1922, a tractor pushed a semi-trailer up the lower vehicle deck ramp and on to the quay. Two minutes later, another tractor was driven up the stern ramp and down to the lower vehicle deck.
At about the same time the third officer, who was on the main vehicle deck in the vicinity of the CCR, started a personal call on his mobile telephone.
During his phone call, he walked along the starboard side of the main vehicle deck and at 1925, on to the starboard side of the stern ramp.
At 1926, a tractor on the lower vehicle deck started to push a semi-trailer up the vehicle deck ramp towards the main deck and the stern ramp.
Meanwhile, the third officer loitered on the ramp’s starboard side, gradually moving down the ramp towards the quay while talking on his mobile telephone.
At 1926:38, the rear end of the semi-trailer that had been pushed from the lower deck reached the top of the stern ramp, while another tractor driver in his cab, who was on the quay and approaching the stern ramp, saw the third officer facing down the ramp and the semi-trailer moving towards him, so sounded his horn to warn him.
Three seconds later, the rear of the semi-trailer struck the third officer.
In light of the above, the tractor unit’s driver pushing the trailer, immediately stopped. Although the third officer was trapped between the trailer’s rear wheels and was declared life extinct by attending paramedics.
With the trailer blocking his view ahead, the tractor unit’s driver was not expecting any pedestrians to be on the stern ramp as he could not see the third officer.
Conclusions:
- The third officer was talking on his mobile telephone and was facing down the ramp, away from the direction of the semi-trailer’s approach, when he was struck. He probably did not hear the trailer approaching due to the noise from cargo operations on other decks, and he was standing away from a pedestrian walkway that was painted along the starboard edge of the ramp.
- The stern ramp was the only means of access, but a protected walkway could not be provided and other means of segregating pedestrians from vehicular traffic, as required by the applicable codes of practice, had not been established.
- Tractors pushing semi-trailers is commonplace in the ro-ro freight industry, but the number and severity of previous similar accidents indicates that it is accompanied by increased risk and warrants the adoption of standard practices and agreed methods of control by terminal staff and ferry crews.
- The use of mobile telephones and other communications media is an increasing source of distraction on working decks and in other hazardous workspaces on board ships, for which formal guidance is currently lacking.
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