Man overboard fatality: Tragic consequences of failure to follow safety procedures

A crew member was painting a vessel’s mid-ship draft marks and load lines while the vessel was anchored off the coast.

He was working over the side of the vessel in a bosun’s chair.

After he finished painting, the crew on deck started to haul him back up.

The bosun’s chair rope parted and the worker, who was unable to swim, fell into the water.

He survived the fall and tried to swim towards a life ring that had been thrown to him.

Other crew members attempted to launch a rescue craft, but it failed to operate.

The worker was unable to reach the life ring and drowned.

Bosun chair’s rope parted, allowing the worker to fall into the water.

Injured person was not wearing a personal flotation device (PFD).

Although he was wearing a safety harness along with a lifeline, the lifeline was untended and not tied off to the vessel.

Although a suitable work plan was created, it was not implemented. The plan included that:

• Bosun chair should have been inspected - crew members failed to adequately check the strength of the bosun’s chair rope.
• Crew member going over the rail should have worn a PFD and use a safety harness and line.

Bosun was not present and it is unknown if someone was supervising the operation.

A request for new manila rope and for PFD work vests (designed to be worn with the vessel’s safety harness) was placed several months before the incident. The request had not been fulfilled.

Ensure safety equipment is provided and properly used.

Ensure adequate supervision of work teams.

Make sure all workers properly develop and execute plans, including plans for worst case scenarios.

Fully implement and adhere to safety management system requirements.

How can you ensure that all your personal protective equipment (PPE) is functioning correctly when working over water/working from height?

What should you do if the recommended PPE is not available before starting work?

Do you feel encouraged and confident to initiate a stop work authority if needed?

Do you feel all your tasks have adequate supervision? If not, what should you do?

How can you check that all your tasks have the correct procedures in place?