MSF – Near-miss: Dropped objects

  • Safety Flash
  • Published on 8 June 2012
  • Generated on 4 March 2026
  • IMCA SF 05/12
  • 1 minute read

The MSF has published two Safety Flashes regarding a number of recent near miss incidents involving dropped objects.

  • In one incident on an offshore vessel, a piece of stainless steel flat bar fell from the davit from a height of 2 metres and narrowly missed a crew member.

  • In another incident on a vessel lying alongside an installation, a steel bar about 1 metre long and 3 centimetres in diameter was seen to fall on to the deck from either the roof of a container or from overhanging scaffolding on the installation.

Latest Safety Flashes:

Dropped object: falling shim plate while lowering A-frame

During the lowering of the A-frame of the crane on a large crane vessel, a plate with a weight of 15kg, rolled out from the auxiliary inboard fleeting sheaves.

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W2W gangway bumper damaged during demonstration

During testing to demonstrate emergency retraction, the movement of the vessel in the swell applied forces to the bumper, which caused the bolts to fail and the bumper to break off.

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Towing wire parted

A vessel was towing a barge when the towing wire parted.

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BSEE: Falling corroded crane component results in near miss

BSEE has published Safety Alert 511 relating to a near-miss dropped object incident on an offshore platform during the maintenance and inspection of a platform crane.

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Cook temporarily trapped in freezer

A vessel cook was temporarily trapped inside a large walk-in freezer.

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IMCA Safety Flashes summarise key safety matters and incidents, allowing lessons to be more easily learnt for the benefit of the entire offshore industry.

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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.

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