Real Life Incident: Experience Doesn’t Always Equal Safe Practice

A vessel was in the process of berthing. The engines and thrusters were still running, and the aft mooring station personnel had just confirmed to the bridge team that the vessel was all fast aft.

Before coming to berth, the side (pilot) door had been opened to facilitate monitoring of the rescue boat, which had been launched and recovered for survey purposes. The door was still open during the berthing manoeuvre but a safety chain was in place to indicate the hazard. The open door was about at the same height as the quayside.

A classification society surveyor, who was on the wharf waiting to board the vessel, removed the chain himself and hopped on board through the door.

Lessons learned

• Side/pilot doors should be kept closed when not in use.
• Open side doors that are soon to be used should be attended by ship’s crew trained in their duties. They should be strongly advised to let no one attempt a boarding or disembarkation without a proper gangway in place. A sign should be installed on the safety chain to reinforce the interdiction.
• Even experienced mariners and surveyors can be tempted to skirt safety rules for the sake of expediency. Never be intimidated by the rank or title of a visitor and stick to your vessel’s procedures.

Reference: nautinst.org

Latest Case Studies You Would Like:

Real Life Incident: Scrap Metal Fire Extinguished But Vessel Sunk

Posted on September 29, 2023

A general cargo vessel was loading scrap metal into both the forward and aft cargo holds. A loader was lowered into the aft cargo hold to smooth the heap of scrap metal in certain areas.

Real Life Incident: Collision In Daylight And Good Visibility

Posted on September 4, 2023

In the early morning a small cargo ship left port bound for a short sea destination. The OOW was alone on the bridge as it was now daylight and visibility was good.

Real Life Incident: Pressure Washer Risks

Posted on August 11, 2023

On a vessel underway, two engine room crew were detailed to clean the engine room ventilator water mist catcher using a pressure cleaner.

Real Life Incident: Hatch Gantry Crane Safety Study

Posted on August 10, 2023

Current gantry crane practice and risk reduction measures are not adequate, finds a report from Dutch Safety Board (DSB).

Real Life Incident: Cargo Fire Takes 10 Days To Extinguish

Posted on August 9, 2023

A general cargo vessel was fully loaded with cut timber packed into plastic-wrapped packages, both in the cargo hold and on deck.