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What happened?
An offshore vessel crew were securing the starboard work wire onto the starboard winch drum.
A 6.5cm (2.5in) rope was connected at one end to the work wire, and to the centre tugger wire at the other, using a polyester sling and rigging chain.
A worker stood in front of the work wire winch to see if it was winding correctly.
The polyester sling split and the rope recoiled, hitting the worker on the legs.
The worker fell into a nearby open chain locker (7.5m/25ft deep) and received burns to their left hand and fingers.
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Why did it happen?
The workers incorrectly used a polyester sling (rated for 1,600kg/3,525lbs) rather than an endless chain.
The injured person was standing on the deck while the line was under tension – which was a violation of vessel policy.
The open chain locker should have had protective guarding.
There was no formal task-specific planning done before starting work.
The workers were not supervised correctly – roles and duties were changed during the task.
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What did they learn?
Ensure that workers are aware they should not be on deck while lines are under tension.
Develop and implement a specific process for securing work wire to a work winch.
Ensure work processes are clearly communicated and understood.
Educate all the work crew on the rigging matrix and compliance with it.
Investigate additional chain locker protection methods.
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Ask yourself or your crew
How do we ensure that activities performed at remote work sites or locations are planned well enough?
How often are management audits and walkthroughs being performed to identify potential issues? Is that frequently enough?
Are you aware of all the safe work practices you should follow? What are they?
How would you ‘stop work’ if people’s roles changed during a task?
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What happened?
An offshore vessel crew were securing the starboard work wire onto the starboard winch drum.
A 6.5cm (2.5in) rope was connected at one end to the work wire, and to the centre tugger wire at the other, using a polyester sling and rigging chain.
A worker stood in front of the work wire winch to see if it was winding correctly.
The polyester sling split and the rope recoiled, hitting the worker on the legs.
The worker fell into a nearby open chain locker (7.5m/25ft deep) and received burns to their left hand and fingers.
Why did it happen?
The workers incorrectly used a polyester sling (rated for 1,600kg/3,525lbs) rather than an endless chain.
The injured person was standing on the deck while the line was under tension – which was a violation of vessel policy.
The open chain locker should have had protective guarding.
There was no formal task-specific planning done before starting work.
The workers were not supervised correctly – roles and duties were changed during the task.
What did they learn?
Ensure that workers are aware they should not be on deck while lines are under tension.
Develop and implement a specific process for securing work wire to a work winch.
Ensure work processes are clearly communicated and understood.
Educate all the work crew on the rigging matrix and compliance with it.
Investigate additional chain locker protection methods.
Ask yourself or your crew
How do we ensure that activities performed at remote work sites or locations are planned well enough?
How often are management audits and walkthroughs being performed to identify potential issues? Is that frequently enough?
Are you aware of all the safe work practices you should follow? What are they?
How would you ‘stop work’ if people’s roles changed during a task?
A worker on an offshore mooring vessel was securing the vessel’s starboard work wire. The sling being used split and a 6.5cm (2.5in) rope struck the worker in the lower legs, knocking them into an open chain locker.
