Steamship Mutual P&I Club issues Risk Alert No. 36
The Steamship Mutual P&I Club has issued Risk Alert No. 36 regarding working on deck in heavy weather after undertaking a reviewof 180 crew injury and deathclaims cases incurred in the 2010-2012 underwriting years.
In total, there were 21 fatalitiesand two thirds of these involveddeck personnel. The majority ofthose deaths involved personnelbeing lost overboard; eitherwashed away in heavy weather orlost in unexplained circumstances,suggestive of suicide.
In those cases where personnelwere on deck in heavy weather, itappears that the risk assessmentleading to the decision to deploycrew on deck was inadequate.
Masters and Owners have anobligation to ensure their crewsare provided with a safeworkplace and that they areregularly trained in emergencyprocedures such as MOB drills.Just as Masters and Owners have aduty of care to provide a safeworkplace, crew members alsohave a duty of care, to ensure thatthey themselves work safely.
The Code of Safe WorkingPractices for Merchant Seamen(COSWP) Section 13.9 states that‘no seafarer should be on deckduring heavy weather unless it isabsolutely necessary for the safetyof the ship or crew‘.
In winter conditions, on beingswept overboard the casualtywould almost certainly be affectedby cold water shock andhypothermia would soon causeunconsciousness and death. Inview of this, wearing proper PPEsuch as an immersion suit and alifejacket would significantlyincrease the seafarer’s chances ofsurvival, and would also make iteasier for his colleagues to rescuehim.
Recommendations
The Steamship Mutual Club recommend thefollowing pre-work steps:
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1) Work on deck during heavyweather should be authorised bythe Master only and the bridgewatch should be informed 2) A risk assessment should beundertaken 3) A permit to work and acompany checklist for work ondeck in heavy weather should becompleted 4) Any persons required to go ondeck during heavy weather shouldwear a suitable life-jacket, properPPE, and be equipped with aportable transceiver 5) Seafarers should work in pairsor in teams. All seafarers shouldbe under the command of anexperienced senior officer. |
The risk assessment should giveconsideration to a number offactors, including the following:
- The necessity of the work. (i.e.can it wait until daylight, the next port, do the risks outweigh thebenefits?)
- Permit to work and companychecklist completed.
- Adjust vessel’s course and speed
- Rigging lifelines
- Lifejackets with safety harnesses
- Proper PPE for the job
- Deck lights if required
- Visual contact from bridge
- Working in teams/pairs
- Water-proof portable radios
- Be aware that even in a regularwave pattern, ‘rogue’ waves canexist which can vary in directionand size from the regular wavepattern being experienced.
- ALWAYS plan for, and expect,the unexpected
- Making sure that all theequipment is of approved typeand well maintained
Case study
On 25 November 2012, two crewmembers were washed overboardfrom a general cargo vessel. Theaccident occurred during heavyweather in the North Sea. Bothmen lost their lives; the body ofone of them was recovered fromthe sea by helicopter following asearch and rescue operation. Thebody of the other was never found.
The two crew members hadproceeded onto the aft mooringdeck to secure a coiled mooringrope that had loosened in itsstowed position.They were struck by a large wave,which washed them overboard,causing their respective lifelines,which were secured to the vessel,to part.
The investigation concluded thatthe risk assessment made at thetime was not adequate and shouldhave taken into consideration thepossibility of waves breakingastern on the poop-deck in thesevere following weather.
Find more information in the Steamship Mutual P&I Club Risk Alert regarding Working on deck in heavy weather
