During inspection of a fresh water tank, it was discovered that there was significant sludge accumulation in the tank. Based on the condition of the tank, it was seen as […]
Safety Flashes
IMCA safety flashes disseminate important information on incidents and potential hazards and the lessons learnt from them that can help prevent incidents occurring elsewhere in the industry.
Individual safety events are available individually online, tagged and searchable, while the traditional PDF collections are also available for download.
Submit a Report
All members are encouraged to contribute relevant safety-related information – please visit our Safety Flash Reporting page for details on the submission process.
IMCA Contact
Nicholas Hough
Technical Adviser - HSSE and Offshore Survey
Contact
Safety Events
Lead-acid battery explosion
What happened A lead-acid battery blew up when an engine was started. The incident occurred when, after conducting pre-start checks on a generator, the 2nd Engineer attempted to start the […]
Issues relating to Coronavirus management
A member has shared a number of issues relating to the Coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 confirmed case on the vessel A vessel assigned employee approached the vessel clinic with a high […]
Inappropriate use of pneumatic line thrower for mooring line
What happened During mooring operations crew on a vessel used a pneumatic line thrower (PLT) to throw a mooring line. Several attempts were made, of which one was successful. Two […]
Disabled audible alarm on fire alarm panel
What happened During routine testing of the fire alarm, it was observed that the Fire Alarm panel was not emitting an audible alarm – there was only a flashing light […]
MAIB: Fatal accident during cargo operations on Karina C
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published accident its investigation report into a fatal crush incident during lifting operations on the general cargo vessel Karina C on 24 […]
Service letter from Palfinger Marine relating to Davit types NPD 11300H and NPD 14800H
A defect (see picture 1, sketch 1) was found during the annual maintenance of a lifeboat davit on a vessel. During scheduled maintenance it was discovered that one of the […]
Rigging failure during riser recovery – soft slings parted
During recovery of a 10m riser section with buoyancy modules attached, the riser section dropped 2.5m to deck when the soft slings parted after rubbing on the sharp edge of […]
Failure of remote control/emergency stop on rescue boat winch
What happened There was a failure of the winch remote control and emergency stop during recovery of the rescue boat to the davit. The incident occurred on completion of rescue […]
MSF: Near miss – potential dropped object found on bundle of casing
The Marine Safety Forum published Safety Alert 20-11 relating to a potential dropped object in a load. The near miss incident occurred during offloading of casing from a supply vessel. […]
Crane whip line parted during hook stop testing
What happened The crane was positioned in the rest while the Crane Operator carried out hook stop testing of the auxiliary winch. An uncontrolled hoisting movement resulted in the headache […]
COVID-19 Improper Risk Management
Two days after departure, a positive PCR test result was received, resulting in the person having to remain isolated on board the vessel for 14 days. The isolation was well […]
Two incidents relating to the condition of personal protective equipment
Here are two incidents reported by two different contractors, relating to the condition of personal protective equipment. Incident 1: Defective Safety Harness What happened Recommendations Crew on board reminded of […]
LTI: Stored energy – rigger injured leg working on quayside
A rigger sustained a significant injury to his lower left leg while working on the quayside during lifting operations. The incident occurred during the hours of darkness, when a third-party […]
Injury to Fingers During Grinding Activity
What happened Someone was performing maintenance activities with a grinder, using the grinder to cut and shape wood. When he finished, he switched off the grinder and placed on deck. […]
Hand injury when caught in machinery
What happened A crew member sustained injuries to his hand and arm when his hand got trapped by a moving belt. The incident occurred during routine maintenance of an Air […]
Positive: vessel improvements made following a man overboard incident
Following a non-fatal man overboard incident involving a member of a mooring gang falling off a tug, as part of the incident investigation, a thorough review was conducted to identify […]
Vessel Near Miss with wellhead
A vessel had a near miss with a wellhead within the 500m zone. The vessel Master was preoccupied and did not notice that the vessel was drifting close to the […]
Lifeboat wire rope failure
During a five-yearly 110% load test of a lifeboat, taking place under third party supervision, the forward fall wire failed, resulting in the lifeboat falling and flipping upside down landing […]
Near miss: uncontrolled movement of mooring chain
What happened There was a sudden and uncontrolled movement of very heavy mooring chain during chain laying operations. A vessel was laying a 170mm diameter bottom chain from a suction […]
1729 post(s)