Real Life Incident: Dangers of Dropped Objects

A support vessel was carrying out operations. Due to the heading in relation to the prevailing seas and swell the ship was reported to be ‘slamming’. This movement caused a piece of timber approximately 300mm x 100mm to fall 15 metres from the crane jib support to the deck below. The piece of timber was not a loose item that had been displaced, but was in fact a section of the jib stowage arrangement which had apparently split and come loose from its support.

Subsequently, the vessel crew completed a full and thorough HSE inspection of all deck areas to check for other weak points and also to ensure there were no remaining loose/unsecured items which could fall onto decks or spaces below. All personnel on board were reminded to remain vigilant for the possibility of falling objects.

Lessons learned

Estimating the wood weighs 3 to 4 kg, the Dropped Object Calculator below shows that the consequences of it hitting someone from 15 metres could be potentially fatal.
Every crewman should be made aware of the potentially fatal or debilitating effects of dropped objects. The Dropped Object Calculator is a valuable tool for training and awareness.

Reference: nautinst.org