A yard worker at Fukuoka Shipbuilding in Japan has been seriously injured after falling from a ladder while working in the cargo hold of a chemical tanker newbuilding.
The Friday morning accident at the company's Nagasaki shipyard was connected to construction of a 36,000-dwt chemical tanker, which is one of two being built for a local unnamed Japanese shipowner.
The tankers are to be operated by Odfjell under a long-term charter contract.
The vessel was alongside at the yard and being outfitted when the accident happened.
According to local reports, the 58-year-old man fell several metres from a 20-metre-high ladder. He was taken to hospital by ambulance and is understood to be unconscious. His condition was described as “serious”.
Police are investigating the accident and talking to colleagues who were working with him at the time.
Although Odfjell was not the owner of the newbuilding, the accident comes just days after another incident involving one of the Norwegian chemical tanker owner's vessels.
As TradeWinds has reported, a fisherman died and another two were left missing following a collision between their boat and an Odfjell chemical tanker off the US.
That accident involved the 37,000-dwt Bow Fortune (built 1999) and 81-foot fishing vessel Pappy's Pride off Galveston.
Fukuoka Shipbuilding is a specialist builder of chemical tankers up to 36,000 dwt in size. It recently expanded by acquiring the neighbouring Usuki Shipyard and Watanabe Shipbuilding, which also specialises in chemical tanker tonnage.
