IMCA

Lessons Learned: Battery Explosion During Routine Maintenance

A recent IMCA Safety Flash focuses on an incident in which a chief engineer suffered minor injuries in a battery explosion when disconnecting a cable from the battery, to provide lessons learned.

The Incident

The incident occurred onboard a harbour tug. The chief engineer was planning to replace a battery disconnect switch that had failed. While disconnecting the positive terminal, both terminals were inadvertently short-circuited with a spanner and the battery exploded causing injuries to the...

https://mfame.guru/lessons-learned-battery-explosion-during-routine-maintenance/

Mechanical Failure During Lifeboat Testing

Credit: Jametlene Reskp/Unsplash

The IMCA presents an incident where during launch testing of a lifeboat, a turnbuckle and shackle weighing 7kg fell 23m from the davit onto the boat.

Incident

During the launch testing of a lifeboat, a critical incident occurred. A turnbuckle and shackle, collectively weighing 7 kilograms, fell approximately 23 meters from the davit.

The equipment landed perilously close, within a meter, of a worker who was in the process of securing the falls at the lifeboat hatch....

https://mfame.guru/mechanical-failure-during-lifeboat-testing/

Lessons Learned: Fractured Finger During Anchor Handling

Credits: Grant Durr/Unsplash

IMCA reports of an incident where a crew member suffered a finger injury during anchor handling.

What happened?

A crew member suffered a serious finger injury when he got his finger trapped. The incident occurred when a vessel had been installing mooring elements, suction anchors and mooring chain. Whilst handling chain, the injured person got his finger squeezed when loosening a bolt (pin) from the central part of a Kenter link (Kenter heart). He went to see the medic...

https://mfame.guru/lessons-learned-fractured-finger-during-anchor-handling/

Lessons Learned: Person Injured Falling Between Decks

Credits: Matthew Wheeler/Unsplash

The Marine Safety Forum (MSF) has published Safety Alert 23-06 relating to someone who fell 2m between decks on an AHTS (Anchor handling vessel) alongside in port.

What happened

The injured person fell approximately 2m from A-deck to the port chain chute on the main deck. The injured person was conscious but disoriented and had a small cut to the head. First aid was given, and the person was transferred to hospital. The injured person suffered one broken vertebra,...

https://mfame.guru/lessons-learned-person-injured-falling-between-decks/

Worker Fractured Arm During Mooring Line Handling

Credits: Maciej Karon/Unsplash

IMCA reports of a worker fractured arm during mooring line handling.

What happened?

A mooring rope (weighing 2.9kg per metre) hit a crew person and caused a broken arm. The incident occurred as the crew were preparing to unmoor and move a barge. The operation was proceeding as planned when one of the forward mooring station winches in use tripped out. The mooring crew at the forward station informed the Chief Officer about the winch tripping, using UHF. The mooring...

https://mfame.guru/worker-fractured-arm-during-mooring-line-handling/

Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning During Oxy-Acetylene Brazing

Credits: IMCA

IMCA reports of carbon monoxide intoxication after acetylene gas welding of pipes.

What happened

A crew member suffered from Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning during oxy-acetylene brazing. The incident occurred when the crew member was involved in the repair of a broken valve, part of the Freon pipe system for refrigeration. While doing the brazing on the gas return isolation valve, the crew member felt unwell, but continued the job. The task was completed after one hour and then the...

https://mfame.guru/carbon-monoxide-co-poisoning-during-oxy-acetylene-brazing/

Lessons Learnt: Fingers Lost in Unexpected Hatch Closure

Credits: Shutterstock

A recent IMCA Safety Flash focuses on an incident in which a crew person was checking the water tightness of the engine room’s emergency hatch cover, to provide lessons learned.

The incident

Safety lock pins, used to prevent the hatch cover from closing, were missing. To hold the hatch cover from closing, the crew improvised using a nearby chain which he hooked to a hose support. However, the improvised arrangement failed, and the hatch cover closed unexpectedly. The injured...

https://mfame.guru/lessons-learnt-fingers-lost-in-unexpected-hatch-closure/

High Pressure Oil Leak Causes Engine Room Fire

Credits: Arny Mogensen/Unsplash

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch has published Safety Digest 1/2023, consisting of lessons from recent Marine Accident Reports. IMCA has reviewed the digest and here passes on for members interest, some but not all of the incidents in it.

What happened

A recently built vessel was on passage when a gearbox temperature probe was ejected from its fitting by oil at 25 bar. A jet of gearbox oil sprayed a major part of the engine room including one of the...

https://mfame.guru/high-pressure-oil-leak-causes-engine-room-fire/

Improper Securing of Pilot Ladder Leads To Minor Injury

Credits: ICS

IMCA Safety Flashes summarise an incident involving a fall from pilot ladder.

What happened?

A Chief Officer slipped and fell from a pilot ladder onto a lifeboat, suffering minor bruising. The incident occurred on a vessel which was coming to the end of ten days spent alongside in a shipyard. The crew were performing a last pre-departure mandatory drill, which was a man overboard recovery with the lifeboat afloat, combined with the periodic over-boarding sea trial of the lifeboat...

https://mfame.guru/improper-securing-of-pilot-ladder-leads-to-minor-injury/

[Watch] IMCA Resilience Awareness Programme – Module 6

Resilience Awareness Training

The Resilience Awareness Programme was created by top IMCA members specifically for the marine contracting sector. A successful organisation must be able to deal with difficult situations and come out on top; this ability is primarily determined by the resilience of its workforce.

The key ideas of resilience are explained in the six movies and related advice notes. The programme is made to be used by teams of workers to foster conversation and encourage...

https://mfame.guru/watch-imca-resilience-awareness-programme-module-6/

+ More
Join Our Newsletter
Enter your email to receive a weekly round-up of shipping news.
icon
By subscribing, you agree with our privacy policy and our terms of service.