Worker sustained severe facial injuries during vessel maintenance
- Safety Flash
- Published on 27 February 2006
- Generated on 5 November 2026
- IMCA SF 02/06
- 2 minute read
IMCA has received a report on an accident wherein a worker on a pipelay vessel sustained serious injuries to his face.
What happened?
Whilst the vessel was alongside, ‘routine’ inspection and maintenance work was being carried out on sheaves, bearings and clamps on a J-lay tower. The main pin and sheaves had been dismantled successfully. Later, during re-installation, the main pin was inserted by hand, halfway inside its path, in order to facilitate its final positioning. It was decided to use a hydraulic jack to push the pin in further. To this end, an additional pipe was introduced to the job. This pipe was held by hand and the hydraulic jack positioned at the other end of it. The jack was then put under pressure to start pushing the pin into its final position. Whilst under pressure, the pipe slipped out from under the jack and hit a worker in the face.
Appropriate first aid was applied. The casualty was then transferred to hospital where severe facial injuries were diagnosed.
The company’s investigation of the accident revealed the following:
- A job safety analysis (JSA) was used that had been developed for a similar operation carried out for work on another piece of equipment. However, the additional tools and equipment being used were not mentioned on this JSA.
- This work had not been documented at a safety briefing held earlier that day.
- The ‘tool used for the job’, i.e. the pipe, was not of a manufactured design and hence was not fit for purpose.
- the supervisor/workgroup leader was unable to offer continual support/supervision due to heavy work load and could only visit the work site periodically.
Our Member took the following actions:
The company has made a number of modifications to its safety management system to prevent recurrence of this kind of accident, and observed the following lessons learnt:
- Existing and/or generic job safety analyses should be rigorously examined when being reviewed in order to take specific work environment conditions into account
- Permit to work requirements need to be applied at all times
- Pre-job safety briefings are essential and should cover all planned and possible or likely work
- Personnel need to be clear that in case of doubt, they should avoid shortcuts and ask their supervisor.
IMCA Safety Flashes summarise key safety matters and incidents, allowing lessons to be more easily learnt for the benefit of the entire offshore industry.
The effectiveness of the IMCA Safety Flash system depends on the industry sharing information and so avoiding repeat incidents. Incidents are classified according to IOGP's Life Saving Rules.
All information is anonymised or sanitised, as appropriate, and warnings for graphic content included where possible.
IMCA makes every effort to ensure both the accuracy and reliability of the information shared, but is not be liable for any guidance and/or recommendation and/or statement herein contained.
The information contained in this document does not fulfil or replace any individual's or Member's legal, regulatory or other duties or obligations in respect of their operations. Individuals and Members remain solely responsible for the safe, lawful and proper conduct of their operations.
Share your safety incidents with IMCA online. Sign-up to receive Safety Flashes straight to your email.