IMCA Safety Flash 04-24
IMCA has released the latest Safety Flash.
Click here to read the article in full or see the highlights below;
Unauthorised entry into confined space
What happened
Planned repair works were taking place on a barge. The work involved hot work (welding & grinding). During the works, the stand-by person, controlling several areas, observed sub-contract personnel accessing a confined space in which welding was taking place.
Hot work whilst working at height in a confined space – job was stopped
During a site visit to a vessel, it was observed that a third-party contractor’s welder was standing on the wooden platform (the actual height was over 1.80m) inside a confined space (a ballast tank) doing some flame-cutting jobs. No fall protection guards were installed around the worker, not was the worker wearing fall arrest equipment.
BSEE: Confined space entry – tank cleaning
The United States’ Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has published Safety Alert 477 relating to working in Confined Spaces. In recent months, BSEE has observed a trend of safety incidents that occurred while personnel conducted tank cleaning operations in confined spaces.
Incident 1: What happened – worker required CPR
A worker was vacuuming, and the nozzle became stuck inside the tank. To free the nozzle, the worker – who was wearing a respirator with organic filters specifically used for working outside the tank – fully entered the tank, where he fell ill. Coworkers found the worker inside the tank. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) was administered to revive the worker.
USCG: wire rope hazard management – dropped turbine nacelle
The United States Coastguard (USCG) has published Marine Safety Alert 11-23 relating to an incident in which a wire rope parted, causing a wind turbine nacelle weighing 69 tons to fall 2.2m to deck, causing significant damage and loss of the nacelle.
What happened
A vessel crane was being used to offload the 69 ton wind turbine nacelle. While hoisting, a wire rope parted, causing the load to fall to the deck. No-one was harmed, but the load landed within a metre of working personnel – there was high potential for serious injury. There was significant damage to the vessel and total loss of the cargo.
Vessel damaged in contact with platform
What happened
A CTV (crew transfer vessel) collided with a fixed platform when one of the engines failed. The CTV was approaching a platform to transfer crew onto it, when there was a failure of control of the port inner main engine, causing it to continue to drive the vessel forward. Whilst control of the engine and hence the vessel was regained before coming into contact with the platform, collision could not be avoided, and there was damage to the starboard side of the wheelhouse. No-one was injured.
