UK MAIB announced the publication of the first Safety Digest of 2024 featuring a collection of lessons learned from latest marine accidents involving vessels from the merchant, fishing and recreational sectors.
This safety digest draws the attention of the marine community to some of the lessons arising from investigations into recent accidents and incidents. It
contains information that has been determined up to the time of issue.
This information is published to inform the merchant and fishing industries, the recreational craft community and the public of the general circumstances of marine accidents and to draw out the lessons to be learned.
The sole purpose of the safety digest is to prevent similar accidents happening again. The content must necessarily be regarded as tentative and subject to alteration or correction if additional evidence becomes available. The articles do not assign fault or blame nor do they determine liability. The lessons often extend beyond the events of the incidents themselves to ensure the maximum value can be achieved.
Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents, Andrew Moll OBE opens this edition by expressing his thanks to the writers of the introductions to the merchant, commercial fishing and recreational sections of this edition. Captain Hywel Pugh, relief skipper Dmitrijs Skripacevs and chair of the Association of Sail
Training Organisations, Mark Todd, all bring their individual insights to improving safety, and their perspectives make compelling reading.
Furthermore, in an exclusive interview to SAFETY4SEA, Andrew Moll, Chief Inspector of the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), explained the challenges and priorities of investigating marine accidents and trends that have arisen through the branch’s work.
The MAIB often reports on fatal man overboard accidents where one or more things have gone badly wrong. Most commonly, the crew were not wearing a personal buoyancy aid when they fell in, and the vessel’s man overboard recovery procedure failed to deliver.
..Andrew Moll OBE said.
This digest contains two cautionary tales: in article 21, about a trainee suffering a propeller strike after falling overboard; and in the reprinted MAIB Safety
Bulletin 3/2023, which reports on a passenger suffering life-changing spinal injuries.
..Andrew added.
