A failure to follow established procedures has been blamed after two seafarers were injured after they fell from a mobile scaffold tower.
They were carrying out painting and routine touch-up work in the cargo holds of the geared bulker 18,828-dwt Shanghai Spirit (built 2005).
The incident occurred on the afternoon of 29 January 2017, when the 140 m geared bulk carrier was anchored in Keppel Bay, Queensland.
To access the full length of the hold bulkhead, the work required repositioning the scaffold tower on multiple occasions, according to the just released Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) report into the accident.
After the work on the aft bulkhead was completed, it was decided to paint the hopper tank edge. As the scaffold tower was moved with the unsecured crewmembers, it became unbalanced and toppled forward onto the deck.
The two crewmembers on the scaffold tower were seriously injured in the fall and were evacuated to a hospital ashore for treatment.
The ATSB report found that by remaining on the unsecured scaffold tower in preparation for repositioning, the two crewmembers had rendered it top-heavy and unstable. Consequently, when moved, it toppled and fell.
Additionally, the ATSB found that neither crewmember on the scaffold tower utilised the required safety harness and associated safety lines which would have prevented them falling when climbing or working on the tower.
“This investigation report highlights the importance of adhering to procedures that assure safety as well as the value of effective supervision,” the ATSB said.
This is not the first such occurrence that the ATSB has investigated, with similar occurrences in 2003 and 2009 also resulting in serious injuries and, in one instance, the death of a crew member.
“Ship owners, operators and crewmembers are reminded to plan and undertake risk assessments for assigned tasks in order to identify any shortcomings in procedures and required risk-mitigation measures,” the ATSB added.
