Crew member fainted after working in Water Ballast Tank

What happened?

A crew member felt faint and subsequently collapsed after working in a confined space.  The incident occurred following the work of a four-person team on rust removal maintenance of the water ballast tanks.  The team spent the day removing bottom sediments and rust scales in a tank and came out in the late afternoon for dinner.  One crew member stated that he felt dizzy and was experiencing a headache and blurred vision.  The team assumed dehydration was the cause and proceeded to return to their cabins in preparation for dinner.  During the elevator ride to the upper deck, the crew member fainted.

Lessons learned: First mate killed while replacing hydraulic hose

The Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board (DMAIB) issued an investigation report on the fatality of a first mate onboard the dredger 'KARIN HØJ' while replacing a hydraulic hose on the ship’s propulsion system, in May 2019.

 

Dropped object Near-Miss – Crane boom bumper stop falls off

What happened?

This was a high potential near miss dropped object incident in which a crane boom bumper stop fell onto the crane cab.  No personnel were injured; however, there was potential for serious or fatal injury.  The incident occurred during preparation for vessel reactivation following a period in warm stack; a crane mechanic spotted a part of one of the vessel cranes had fallen off and was missing.

Lessons Learned: Regular fire drills lead to quick crew response during fire

UK MAIB in its latest Safety Digest discusses a fire onboard a fishing trawler which took place in the engine room, highlighting the importance of regular fire drills, so that the crew is always ready to deal with unexpected situations.