Fatal fall from tug Svitzer Moira
- Safety Flash
- Published on 9 November 2016
- Generated on 14 May 2026
- IMCA SF 30/16
- 1 minute read
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published a report into a fatal accident when a crew member fell and was crushed as the tug Svitzer Moira was being manoeuvred alongside an unmanned tug at Royal Portbury Dock, Bristol, on 29 December 2015.
The MAIB summary highlights the following key issues:
- No toolbox talk took place – the job was deemed as routine by the crew and assumptions were made. A toolbox talk, prior to any hazardous task, is a good opportunity for all crew to have an input, and to ensure all share the same common goal
- The engineer was not wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) at the time of this tragic accident, though it is unlikely that its use would have changed the outcome.
- The investigation found shortcomings in the oversight and control of deck operations and lapses in the use of PPE, indicative of a significant divergence between company instructions and working practices on board that had not been corrected by shore management.
The full report can be down loaded from assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/57f61875ed915d06fd000021/MAIBInvReport19-2016.pdf.
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