MAIB: Man overboard – unguarded opening

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch has published Safety Digest 1/2024, consisting of lessons from recent Marine Accident Reports. IMCA has reviewed the report and passes on to members some of the incidents which we consider to be of interest. This is one of them.

What happened

A crew member fell overboard from a vessel approaching port in the early hours of morning. The deck crew were preparing the ship’s mooring lines for berthing when, during an attempt to pass a heaving line around a structural pillar next to a fairlead, the crew member lost balance and fell overboard through an unguarded opening.

The bridge was notified; the ship’s engine was immediately stopped. The crew member in the water was unable to reach the lifebuoys that were thrown by the ship’s crew. A line was thrown from the ship’s deck and the crew member, who was floating aft, grabbed hold of it and secured it. The ship’s crew used the line to haul the crew member back on board. Following medical assessments on the ship and ashore the crew member was declared to be uninjured and in good health, showing no signs of hypothermia.

What went wrong

• The opening was unguarded – there was nothing to stop anyone falling through it. Whilst with hindsight, after someone fell through it, it was obvious, the unguarded opening was not spotted when the vessel was designed nor during daily operations or previous surveys and audits;
• The action of swinging a heaving line to pass it around the structural pillar had been performed many times without incident, but on this occasion the momentum of swinging the line caused the crew member to overbalance and fall.

Lessons learned

• Work conducted near a vessel’s side should include an assessment of the hazard of falling overboard before starting;
• “Dynamic risk assessment” – a valuable tool to quickly identify, analyse and control workplace hazards as they arise. Are you safe, right here, right now?? ‘On-the-spot’ assessments can be useful to prevent a developing hazardous situation becoming more serious during real-time activities.  Stop the job if you are uncomfortable with it or feel unsafe;

Actions

• The company required each vessel to undertake an immediate mooring area hazard assessment to prevent similar incidents in the future;
• The company took immediate action to guard the opening – there was swift remedial action to fabricate and install a railing and support to mitigate the risk.

Members may wish to refer to:

• Positive: vessel improvements made following a man overboard incident
• Man overboard incident (not fatal)
• Man overboard from stinger