Real Life Incident: Engine Room Crew Member’s Fingers Crushed
An engine room crew member was in the vessel’s workshop when he spotted an unsafe condition. One of the pipes stowed against the workshop bulkhead was protruding out sideways from the storage support.
He attempted to rearrange the misplaced pipe, but as he was doing so, another pipe stowed above slipped from the pile and crushed his index finger against the pipes below.
Upon removing his gloves, the crew member found the fingernail had sheared off along with the skin from the index finger. He received first aid and was put on a rest routine.
Lesson learned
- It should be second nature for crew to carry out on-site risk assessments to avoid unnecessary injury while accomplishing tasks: the mundane as well as the extraordinary.
- Seek assistance from fellow crew members for tasks involving lifting or shifting of heavy weights.
Reference: nautinst.org
