Lack of access provided
- Safety Flash
- Published on 1 March 2004
- Generated on 22 February 2025
- IMCA SF 02/04
- 1 minute read
A member has reported the following incident, whereby an employee sustained an injury to his right shoulder when he fell while jumping off a Zodiac inflatable (in a cradle suspended by a crane) onto the vessel deck, using the bulwark as a step.
What happened?
The injury required him to seek hospital treatment and to remain off-duty for four days.
The company involved has noted that this was ‘an incident waiting to happen’, because:
- there had been no access-way/platform on the vessel to allow personnel to transfer safely between the deck and Zodiac.
- project personnel had been jumping between the Zodiac and deck for over two years – this was considered normal practice on the vessel.
- at the time of the incident, the employee’s right diving bootee had grease on its sole, which contributed to his slipping off the bulwark.
Our member took the following remedial actions:
The company has now provided safe access for personnel to transfer between the Zodiac and deck and has reminded its personnel that: ‘it is everybody’s responsibility to identify and report hazards, so that immediate corrective action can be taken to prevent incidents’.
IMCA Safety Flashes summarise key safety matters and incidents, allowing lessons to be more easily learnt for the benefit of the entire offshore industry.
The effectiveness of the IMCA Safety Flash system depends on the industry sharing information and so avoiding repeat incidents. Incidents are classified according to IOGP's Life Saving Rules.
All information is anonymised or sanitised, as appropriate, and warnings for graphic content included where possible.
IMCA makes every effort to ensure both the accuracy and reliability of the information shared, but is not be liable for any guidance and/or recommendation and/or statement herein contained.
The information contained in this document does not fulfil or replace any individual's or Member's legal, regulatory or other duties or obligations in respect of their operations. Individuals and Members remain solely responsible for the safe, lawful and proper conduct of their operations.
Share your safety incidents with IMCA online. Sign-up to receive Safety Flashes straight to your email.