Two crew members standing in the lifting danger zone suffered injuries during loading of wind turbine tower sections after being struck by a parting sling. The incident is discussed by The Nautical Institute, which stresses crew should always steer clear of loading zones.
The Nautical Institute gathers reports of maritime accidents and near-misses. It then publishes these so-called Mars Reports (anonymously) to prevent other accidents from happening. A summary of this incident:
A cargo vessel arrived in port to load wind turbine tower sections. The deck crew held a safety briefing prior to loading. By this time, it was dark and the vessel’s deck working lights were on, illuminating the area where the crew were working.
Following the safety briefing, a seaman used the vessel’s forward crane to remove the cargo hold ventilation duct space hatch cover so that the cargo hold hatch cover lifting gear could be retrieved. Two other deck crew then entered the ventilation duct space and attached the first of two lifting gear sets to the crane’s hook using a fiber sling. Both crew then climbed out of the space and stood close to the hatch edge ready to guide the load and free any snags as it was lifted.
The crane operator was instructed via VHF radio to commence lifting. After the load had been lifted about two to three metres, the gear snagged. The crane operator was ordered to stop lifting and the two nearby deck crew freed the snag by hand. They remained close to the edge of the hatch and the signaller ordered the crane driver to start heaving again.
Shortly after the lifting operation recommenced, a shackle at the lower end of the load snagged on a ventilation trunk coaming. The crane operator was ordered to stop, but at the same time the fiber sling parted and the lifting gear fell to the deck, striking both crew. One suffered only minor injuries while the other suffered major head injuries and had to be hospitalised and repatriated.
Advice from The Nautical Institute
- Do not stand under a load or in the fall zone!
- In this instance it appears the hazard of snagging gear was well known, but crew had not addressed the hazard at the source, deciding to “work around” the hazard at each instance. It was only a matter of time before an accident happened.
Mars Reports
This accident was covered in the Mars Reports, originally published as Mars 202060, that are part of Report Number 337. A selection of this Report has also been published in SWZ|Maritime’s December 2020 issue. The Nautical Institute compiles these reports to help prevent maritime accidents. That is why they are also published on SWZ|Maritime’s website.
More reports are needed to keep the scheme interesting and informative. All reports are read only by the Mars coordinator and are treated in the strictest confidence. To submit a report, please use the Mars report form.
