The safety record of Seatruck Ferries has again come under the microscope after the death of a seafarer in the port of Liverpool.

The Clipper Group-owned company said a crew member "lost his life in an incident during cargo operations" on the 1,830-lane-metre freight ro-ro Clipper Pennant (built 2009) on 20 July after it arrived from Dublin.

The family and relevant authorities have been informed.

"Seatruck is working closely with the emergency services, who are dealing with the situation. Our priority is supporting the family of the crew member and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time," the company added.

Repeated warnings

The vessel is chartered to P&O Ferries but operated by a Seatruck crew.

Ratings union RMT said this was the third fatal incident involving a Seatruck ferry at the dock in north-western England since 2018.

General secretary Mick Lynch added: "RMT has repeatedly warned government and regulators that a combination of commercial pressure and unintegrated port and ship safety systems [is] a danger to crew and port workers.

"We await further details from the police and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch [MAIB] but comprehensive improvements to ports and maritime safety practices are desperately needed."

Lynch said the latest incident must serve as a wake-up call to the UK government and regulators to work with trade unions to reform the safety culture and end seafarer deaths in the Irish Sea.

Catalogue of tragedy

A Merseyside Police investigation is believed to be underway, the RMT said.

In May 2019, a third officer on the 2,166-lane-metre Seatruck Progress (built 2011) died when he was hit by a trailer on the loading ramp as the vessel was being unloaded in Liverpool.

In December 2018, a bosun on the 1,830-lane-metre Seatruck Pace (built 2009) died after a fall from height while docked in the port.

The latest news comes two weeks after an MAIB report was released into the grounding of Seatruck's 1,057-lane-metre Arrow (built 1998) in fog off Scotland in 2020.

Lack of preparation left a deck officer "overloaded", the probe found.

This was the fourth accident since 2018 involving vessels managed by Seatruck Ferries that had resulted in a published MAIB report.

MAIB said the company has since undertaken a number of actions designed to improve the safe navigation of its vessels in pilotage waters.