THE TRANSPORT Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) has released the findings from its investigation into an incident in June this year that occurred aboard a bulk carrier.
On 23 June an able seaman aboard bulk carrier Poavosa Brave was seriously injured whilst at anchor outside Tauranga Harbour, when the seafarer was struck by a crane block.
According to TAIC, the incident occurred while the crew were preparing the cargo securing gear for a full cargo consignment of logs. They were using one of the onboard cranes to erect a set of collapsible stanchions on the main deck when the crew member was injured.
The commission says a set of communication errors between the bosun, captain, and chief officer directly contributed to the accident’s occurrence, stating, “The accident happened because the people involved didn’t know what each other were doing”.
While at anchor, the bosun chose to start training the deck crew in using an onboard crane to hoist stanchions, without telling the master or chief officer, or seeking authorisation.
Hearing the crane operating, the chief officer assessed the work as unsafe, and upon seeing the crane block stationary on a hatch cover, ordered the crew to retrieve it, without informing the bosun.
The crew obeyed the order while the bosun was still working to his plan driving the crane, when the ship began to roll on a sea swell, causing the crane block and hook to swing off the hatch cover and strike the seaman.
The seaman was very seriously injured and was later evacuated to hospital by helicopter.
TAIC concludes in its report that the weather and sea conditions were not suitable for using the crane to hoist up the stanchions, with the master having ordered that the crane was not to be used, and assigned the crew alternative work for the day.
The wind and sea conditions then eased however, during which the bosun decided to engage in the crane-based training exercise.
“Accidents happen when people don’t communicate,” the report highlighted as a key takeaway, “In doing unauthorised work and not telling responsible officers, a safety-critical team leader (the bosun) short-cut the abilities and authorities of leaders responsible for the safety of planned work”.
“Safety depends on following lines of authority. It’s great to have a safety system that includes risk assessment and job safety analysis, but for that to work, responsible decision-makers need to be aware of all relevant information.”
In the context of this particular incident, TAIC outlined three key points to avoid incidents of this nature, including; communicate the plan, double-check the plan is still the plan, and speak up.
“The benefits of risk assessment and job safety analysis are lost when unplanned or unauthorised work is undertaken.”
