Safety Flashes

We have recently had reported to us this near-miss concerning an ROV support vessel and an unmanned installation. The vessel was operating under automatic control with the platform selected in […]

One of our members has alerted us to a problem with one type of SOPEP oil boom – type SMB40. SPOEP oil booms are normally manufactured using blown polypropylene as […]

One of our members has recently experienced an incident during a lifeboat drop test carried out on three lifeboats. One of the three lifeboats failed its drop test due to […]

We have received a report of an incident on one of our members’ vessels where a Simrad SHT SPT 319 transponder was retrieved from the seabed. Once on deck and […]

We have received the following information from one of our members, where that member’s vessel suffered a loss of joystick control for no apparent reason, whilst working alongside a rig […]

We have received the following safety alert from UKOOA – the UK Offshore Operators Association: “Recent investigations on an unplanned disconnection of a marine aluminium telescopic gangway identified a potential […]

The following information has been reported to us as a safety alert received from the UK Health and Safety Executive. “The results of recent investigations have indicated that several hundred […]

The following near miss on an offshore installation has been reported. During high winds a 21m exhaust slack from one of the turbine engines on an offshore installation was seen […]

An incident which involved the inadvertent release of a taut wire dump weight recently occurred on a member’s vessel. The incident itself did not result in any injury, damage or […]

During the ten year pressure test of the regeneration plumbing onboard a member’s vessel in dry dock, a cracked weld was discovered. The length of plumbing which contained this crack […]

An incident was recently reported to us which occurred during the recovery of a plough whilst cable laying. The emergency plough recovery system used incorporated an Emergency Life Line (ELL). […]

A serious incident occurred during a routine lifeboat operational test, involving the lowering of a vessel lifeboat into the water. A three-man crew boarded the lifeboat, strapped themselves in, and […]

During the lowering of a Watercraft lifeboat to the sea for planned annual maintenance and test run, the brake release cable became snarled on its reel. The end of the […]

The E&P Forum has also produced Lifeboat Safety Guidelines – these guidelines are intended for offshore operators and contractors – and address lifeboat operational and maintenance aspects – with emphasis […]

A video has recently been produced by the UK’s Health & Safety Executive (HSE) entitled “Lifeboat On-load Release Gear – Safe Inspection and Maintenance”. Four lives have been lost over […]

During the recovery of two 400kg buoyancy blocks from the seabed a swaged eye of a strop failed and one of the blocks rose uncontrolled to the surface. No one […]

Recently it was reported that the end of a transponder stored in an on-shore workshop blew off. The transponder had been in storage for a couple of months after being […]

A number of incidents have been reported where loads have been dropped during subsea operations, with the following causes being identified: Failure of mechanical latches; Modified ‘off-the-shelf’ rigging; Lack of […]

A serious incident occurred on a fixed installation while dismantling a Unit – Mariner 3600 portable crane. Three people were seriously injured and a fourth was lost overboard and did […]

Whilst deploying an ROV using a Tekmar X-90 LARS launching system, the main umbilical sheave and docking assembly dropped approximately 0.5m leaving it supported only by the hydraulic roll control […]