IMCA issues a summary of 148 incidents released in 35 news flashes during 2016

January 8, 2017January 16, 2017 News Reporter

This is a brief summary of the incidents reported during 2016, highlighting some of the trends and points worthy of note. During 2016, IMCA published 148 incidents in 35 safety flashes. This is outstanding and IMCA members are to be thanked for sharing more incidents during 2016 than in any previous year.

One of the challenges IMCA faced in 2016 was maintaining the highest levels of impact and learning value of safety flash incidents, at a time when they were publishing a safety flash almost every week. For this reason, IMCA has not published every incident reported to them – they have omitted to publish 25 reported incidents. In general, IMCA has decided not to pass on incidents which were considered to have no new or little relevant lessons.

IMCA has continued, so far as has been reasonably practicable (taking into account the need to publish incidents in a timely way), to publish safety flashes with incidents grouped together with a broad theme or focus.

Two thirds of the events received and published come from IMCA contractor, supplier and corresponding members. The remainder come from government bodies, regulators and trade associations, including the Marine Safety Forum (MSF). 13% of 2016 IMCA safety incidents were reported first by the MSF. IMCA works closely with other industry bodies and regulators to ensure that appropriate incidents are passed on and lessons learned are circulated to members.

Forty two IMCA members reported incidents. Seven members reported more than one incident. IMCA continues to encourage all members to contribute incidents to the IMCA safety flash system. This is an important way to influence industry safety policy by actively taking part.

Click to view and read all IMCA Safety Flashes

A list of the 2016 Safety Flashes
IMCA Safety Flash 01/16 – January 2016
1. High potential near miss: Failure of both diver’s breathing air supply & dive stage recovery winch 2. Injuries due to failure of divers’ emergency gas cylinder – use of incompatible threads 3. High potential near miss: Poor O2 content in supplied air – diver temporarily lost consciousness

IMCA Safety Flash 02/16 – January 2016
1. Worker killed when struck by a load on a moving crane 2. Fatal fall during cargo loading operations 3. High potential near miss: Dropped object 4. Lost time injury (LTI): Finger injury – watertight sliding door

IMCA Safety Flash 03/16 – January 2016
1. Lost time injury (LTI): Stored pressure release – Crewman lost an eye 2. Crew transfer vessel (CTV) personnel transfers 3. Fire: Spontaneous combustion of towels 4. Breathing air cylinder air valve broken off

IMCA Safety Flash 04/16 – January 2016
1. Near miss: Non-fatal man overboard incident 2. Near miss: Pilot ladder failure 3. Person accidently drank hazardous substance 4. Finger injury during maintenance work: Restricted work case 5. Finger injury: Pinch point

IMCA Safety Flash 05/16 – February 2016
1. Helicopter rotor downdraft hazards – Oil & Gas UK (OGUK) 2. Near miss: Fouled diver umbilical 3. Slip/trip resulting in lost time injury (LTI) 4. False or scam emails – Warning

IMCA Safety Flash 06/16 – March 2016
Focus: Mosquito-borne diseases
1. Malaria fatality 2. The Zika virus

IMCA Safety Flash 07/16 – March 2016
Focus: Fire hazards, mooring, Hoegh Osaka
1. Near miss: Laundry fire hazards 2. Mooring: Port operator fined after worker injured by capstan 3. Near miss: Mooring without port assistance 4. Listing, flooding and grounding of vehicle carrier Hoegh Osaka

IMCA Safety Flash 08/16 – April 2016
1. Fatality: Stored pressure release 2. LTI finger injury whilst working in engine room 3. Serious hand injury: Worker injured by machinery 4. Near miss: Dropped torque tool
5. Dropped object fell 12m and hit worker

IMCA Safety Flash 09/16 – April 2016
1. August 2013 Super Puma helicopter crash

IMCA Safety Flash 10/16 – April 2016
Focus: Incidents during mooring and cargo handling
1. Vessel in collision with floating dock 2. Damage to hand rails during mooring operations 3. Equipment damaged during cargo operations 4. Mooring near miss: Lines break during un-docking operation

IMCA Safety Flash 11/16 – April 2016
1. Fatality: Crew member struck by forklift during quayside operations

IMCA Safety Flash 12/16 – May 2016
1. First aid injury: Person struck by wire under tension 2. Lost time injury (LTI): Serious hand injury during high pressure washing operations 3. Failure of fire extinguishers owing to corrosion 4. Condensate leak 5. Fatalities caused by crane collapse following metal fatigue

IMCA Safety Flash 13/16 – May 2016
1. Counterfeit admiralty products 2. Life jacket failures 3. Product awareness: Chains for lifting Harding FF1200 lifeboat

IMCA Safety Flash 14/16 – May 2016
1. Serious incident: Pad eye fell from crane boom and struck rigger 2. Potential dropped object: Inbound cargo 3. Dropped object: Tank dog

IMCA Safety Flash 15/16 – May 2016
1. Preliminary report into helicopter crash near Bergen

IMCA Safety Flash 16/16 – June 2016
1. Dropped object: Signage dropped from crane boom 2. High potential near miss: Damage to small boat during offshore survey operations 3. Corrosion of hollow section members on offshore drilling structures 4. Near miss: Rigging recovered with missing nut from tri-plate shackle 5. Mobile phone charger failures

IMCA Safety Flash 17/16 – June 2016
1. Near miss: Cargo shifted in heavy seas whilst alongside platform 2. Mooring rope fouled the propeller and parted 3. Collision whilst drifting 4. Platform supply vessel involved in a near miss whilst on location 5. Near miss: Bilge cover left open 6. Product awareness: Orange smoke hand distress signal

IMCA Safety Flash 18/16 – July 2016
1. Stored pressure near miss: Buckle detector expelled from pipe during recovery 2. Stored pressure release near miss: Small part expelled from hydraulic winch 3. Stored pressure: Corrosion coupon plug ejected from pressurised pipeline 4. Minor fuel spill during offshore transfer 5. Accidental discharge of bilge water in dry dock

IMCA Safety Flash 19/16 – July 2016
1. Injury caused by shifting load of pipes 2. Lost time injury (LTI): Loss of end of thumb 3. ‘Routine’ task, non-routine result: A fall from a crane ladder leads to an LTI
4. Restricted work case (RWC): Injury to eye during deck washing 5. Worker seriously injured when 1 tonne load fell on him

IMCA Safety Flash 20/16 – August 2016
1. Near miss: Unintentional release of diving helmet – neck dam/helmet securing arrangements 2. Unintentional release of diving helmet – neck dam/helmet securing arrangements
3. Fatal diver incident due to uncontrolled differential pressure 4. Loss of 3 tonne lift bags owing to equipment failure 5. Near Miss: Divers’ umbilical rupture during routine maintenance

IMCA Safety Flash 21/16 – August 2016
Focus: Equipment failure
1. Proper care of oxy-acetylene cutting and welding equipment 2. Mast head securing wire parted 3. Lifting sling failure on freefall lifeboat 4. Hyperbaric lifeboat emergency lifting chain link failure 5. Load chain failure owing to corrosion

IMCA Safety Flash 22/16 – September 2016
1. Confined space fatality – Sharp Lady 2. Near miss during cable handling – Standing in the bight 3. Potential dropped object during cargo offloading operations
4. Lifting bridle snagged – Failure to ‘stop the job’ 5. Crewman badly scalded during tank cleaning

IMCA Safety Flash 23/16 – September 2016
1. Dropped pallet during loading of stores 2. High potential near miss: Dropped object 3. Dropped object fell from crane: Poor communication/lack of awareness/control of work
4. Dropped object: Failure of split head elbow on bolts 5. Working at Height – Use of wooden handled hammers

IMCA Safety Flash 24/16 – September 2016
1. Fatal engine room fire on suction dredger Arco Avon 2. Near miss: Welding in NO HOT WORK zone 3. Fire in vessel accommodation: Overheating notebook computer

IMCA Safety Flash 25/16 – October 2016
1. Firefighting water jet hits antenna: Failure of limits, stops and safeties 2. PP3 9V battery explosion 3. Collision between vessels 4. High potential near miss incident: 440v cable damaged by grinder 5. Consequences of launching a drone from a vessel in the Suez Canal

IMCA Safety Flash 26/16 – October 2016
1. Near miss: Release of trapped pressure after ROV dive 2. Failure of threads: Follow up to ‘Corrosion coupon plug ejected from pressurised pipeline’

IMCA Safety Flash 27/16 – October 2016
1. Near miss: Open hatches left without barriers 2. Near miss: Person almost fell from height during anchor chain preparations 3. Medical treatment: Person fell down unprotected hatch 4. DBI-SALA® Lad-Saf™ Sleeve – Stop use and voluntary recall/replacement

IMCA Safety Flash 28/16 – October 2016
1. Crewman suffers cut to hand – but gloves prevented it being much worse 2. Line of fire LTI: Finger injury during lifting operations 3. Serious finger injury during valve installation 4. Unsafe method of rope work resulted in severe hand injury 5. Manufacturing firm fined after worker’s arm injured in roller 6. Portable grinders: Hand safety

IMCA Safety Flash 29/16 – October 2016
1. Spilt acid during lifting operations 2. Crane malfunction during lifting operations 3. CCU door unlatched whilst being lifted from PSV to platform 4. Able Seaman injured when vessel moved during cargo operations 5. Dropped object awareness

IMCA Safety Flash 30/16 – November 2016
1. Fatal fall from tug Svitzer Moira 2. LTI: Eye injury following incident with microwaved food 3. Scalding injury to crew member 4. Near miss: Hose parted 5. Life jacket maintenance

IMCA Safety Flash 31/16 – November 2016
1. Diver Loss of Consciousness During Underwater Burning Activities 2. Hand Injury During Diving Operations 3. Near Miss – Leopard Seal Interference with Diver 4. Correct Installation Methods for Diving Umbilicals and Hoses 5. SPHL Battery Charging – Build-Up of Hydrogen

IMCA Safety Flash 32/16 – November 2016
1. Don’t Lose Your Tow in Heavy Weather 2. Be Alarmed by all Alarms! 3. Lifeboat Launch Capability Compromised 4. Pallet Strop Hook Broke and Hit AB 5. Person Hit by Mud/Clay During Anchor Handling Operations

IMCA Safety Flash 33/16 – December 2016
1. Failure to Report Hydraulic Leak Subsea 2. Vessel Made Contact with Quay 3. Near Miss: Dropped Object from Crane 4. Fatalities: Pipe Fell from Skids 5. First Aid Injury – Electric Shock 6. Unsafe Boarding of Vessels 7. Injury After Crewman Fell Downstairs On External Stairway

IMCA Safety Flash 34/16 – December 2016
1. Offshore Crane Safety Systems 2. Dropped Object Near Miss: Crane Rest Damage 3. Near Miss – Dropped Steel Plate 4. Fatal Fall from Height 5. High Potential Near Miss: Failure in Safety Gate

IMCA Safety Flash 35/16 – December 2016
1. Fire in Engine Room 2. Awareness: CO2 Flooding System Activation Points 3. Corrosion Damage – Failed Fire Hydrant 4. Fuel Spill During in Port Bunkering 5. Incidents in Small Workboats Used in the Offshore Renewables Sector 6. First Aid Injury – Person Scalded by Steam Condensate