Accident during cargo operations on general cargo vessel Johanna C with loss of 1 life
Location: Songkhla, Thailand.
Accident Investigation Report 1/2017
Investigation report into marine accident including what happened and safety lessons learned:
Photo: Marc Piché, www.shipspotting.com
Summary
On 11 May 2016, the chief officer on board the UK registered general cargo ship Johanna C fell from a large steel cargo unit that was being repositioned in the vessel’s forward hold. The chief officer was moved ashore and taken to a local hospital by ambulance, but he died shortly after arrival.
Safety lessons
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it was inherently unsafe and unnecessary for the chief officer to stand on top of the cargo while it was being lifted; the risks of standing on a load under tension were not recognised
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the chief officer lost his balance and fell onto the deck following the sudden and unexpected movement of the cargo and/or its lifting slings as the cargo was lifted
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the sudden and unexpected movement of the cargo and /or its slings was possibly due to the slings slipping from their intended positions
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the crew’s response following the chief officer’s fall was immediate and positive
Recommendations
In view of actions already taken, no recommendations have been made in this report.