MCA has published Safety Flash 4/26

Click here to download the IMCA Safety Flash 4/26.

Towing wire parted

A vessel was towing a barge when the towing wire parted. Earlier on the same day, the same towing wire had snagged and was damaged. The damaged wire was reused for towing and eventually parted during manoeuvring.

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W2W gangway bumper damaged during demonstration

During W2W (walk to work) gangway familiarisation for newly joined client personnel, the MPS (Manual Protection System) button was tested to demonstrate emergency retraction. The test was conducted while the W2W gangway was connected to a Transition Piece (foundation tower for an offshore wind turbine).

When the operator presses the MPS and the system switches to “emergency retract”, the gangway waits approximately one second before retracting, and does not compensate for movements from the vessel. The movement of the vessel in the swell applied forces to the bumper, which caused the bolts to fail and the bumper to break off. No-one was harmed.

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Cook temporarily trapped in freezer

A freezer alarm was received on the bridge, indicating that a person was trapped inside the main deck freezer. Crew responded to the alarm, and it was found that the Chief Cook was inside the freezer and was unable to exit because the internal door-opening push button was blocked. The door was opened from the outside, and the cook exited safely without injury.

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BSEE: Falling corroded crane component results in near miss

While the crane was undergoing maintenance, a corroded cable runner on the crane’s boom separated and fell approximately 16m to deck. The cable runner was approximately 1.7m long, 2.5cm in diameter, and weighed approximately 8 kg. When the cable runner separated and fell, it landed on deck approximately 6m from nearby personnel.

A DROPS calculation (see https://www.dropsonline.org/drops-guidance-and-resources/drops-calculator/) indicates that this dropped object posed a threat of serious injury or fatality.

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Dropped object: falling shim plate while lowering A-frame

The shim plate fell 15m onto the roof of the crane cabin. On hearing the noise, work was stopped. The drop zone and surrounding areas were secured to ensure safe conditions. Had the plate hit anyone, there would have been a fatality.

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