A Filipino crewman needed a leg amputated after colleagues failed to use an offshore ship’s crane correctly.
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said the second officer suffered crush injuries on the 15,361-bhp survey and research ship Kommandor Orca (built 2006) at Portland in England on 16 August 2022.
The former anchor-handling tug supply ship was alongside at the port when the seafarer was operating a rail-mounted deck crane.
His lower left leg got caught in the rack-and-pinion traversing mechanism when he moved the crane aft for a lifting operation.
He was taken by helicopter to hospital, where he needed amputation below the knee.
The investigation found that the crane was not being used in accordance with the manufacturer’s operating manual and the crew had used the local crane controls designed for emergency use only.
“The crew’s inappropriate use of the crane controls was normalised behaviour and had been adopted for convenience,” the report found.
MAIB said the vessel had been in cold lay-up with no significant maintenance before the company bought it.
“Consequently, the senior officers and crew would have had the complex task of commissioning all the ship’s equipment and learning its operation without the benefit of a handover of the previous crew’s knowledge,” the report added.
MAIB believes it was likely that the senior officers and crew applied their own experience of the ship’s systems instead of referring to the manufacturer’s manuals and instructions.
Process was flawed
The crane operation training was conducted by the senior officers, so the crew might have assumed that they were being instructed in the correct methods, the agency said.
However, the requirement to operate the crane while working at height with no guardrails or restraints, and near the unguarded rack and pinion gearing, was a clear sign that the process was flawed, the report explained.
“The crew indicated that they had the freedom to challenge onboard practices, but they did not do this for the operation of the cranes. This demonstrated either their acceptance of senior officers’ instructions or no recognition of unsafe acts or unsafe conditions,” MAIB added.
Scottish shipowner Hays Ships told TradeWinds the accident was upsetting and had been promptly and thoroughly investigated by the company.
“Robust corrective and long term preventive actions were implemented without delay,” a spokesperson said.
The company has since mandated the use of the bridge station and wireless remote control units when operating the rail-mounted cranes.
It has also provided training and undertaken a full review of its safety management system and amended the sections on crane operations and cargo handling.
The ship has been fitted with bulwark guardrails, rack-and-pinion guards and a crane emergency stop.
In addition, Hays has supported the injured officer with the intent to continue his employment in a suitable capacity.
The owner said no further recommendations were made by MAIB.
Hays added it has a “proven very good safety record” in the previous 20 years before the 2022 accident and no other seafarer incidents have occurred on its vessels since.
