Man overboard during mooring operations

What happened?

A surfer vessel travelled into the quay.

A seaman, wearing a life jacket, went onto deck to prepare for mooring the vessel.

When the vessel was quayside, the seaman threw the mooring line to the shore bollard 2m (6.5ft) away.

He lost balance and fell forward over the rail into the water.

The seaman was rescued to the jetty by the chief engineer and workers on the quayside.

The seaman’s footing was unstable while throwing the mooring line. He was standing on vessel bits (see image) rather than the deck.

His incorrect position shifted his centre of gravity towards the railing and made him more likely to fall.

The competency of the seaman had previously been questioned, but not addressed by management.

Discuss all hazard controls and review the job safety analysis (JSA) before mooring. Ensure all crew can do their job and help others if needed.

Investigate if a linesman is needed on quayside to help with mooring.

All crew should be able to describe and execute the proper mooring procedure.

Ensure all the crew is competent. Training should always be up-to-date and regularly validated.

What is your mooring procedure? Where is it safe to stand during this task?

What can you do if you see someone performing the job unsafely?

What other hazards might you encounter during mooring and unmooring operations?

What happened?

A surfer vessel travelled into the quay.
A seaman, wearing a life jacket, went onto deck to prepare for mooring the vessel.
When the vessel was quayside, the seaman threw the mooring line to the shore bollard 2m (6.5ft) away.
He lost balance and fell forward over the rail into the water.
The seaman was rescued to the jetty by the chief engineer and workers on the quayside.
Why did it happen?

The seaman’s footing was unstable while throwing the mooring line. He was standing on vessel bits (see image) rather than the deck.
His incorrect position shifted his centre of gravity towards the railing and made him more likely to fall.
The competency of the seaman had previously been questioned, but not addressed by management.
What did they learn?

Discuss all hazard controls and review the job safety analysis (JSA) before mooring. Ensure all crew can do their job and help others if needed.
Investigate if a linesman is needed on quayside to help with mooring.
All crew should be able to describe and execute the proper mooring procedure.
Ensure all the crew is competent. Training should always be up-to-date and regularly validated.
Ask yourself or your crew

What is your mooring procedure? Where is it safe to stand during this task?
What can you do if you see someone performing the job unsafely?
What other hazards might you encounter during mooring and unmooring operations?