Hand injury: Grease injection into small finger

  • Safety Flash
  • Published on 16 April 2014
  • Generated on 4 March 2026
  • IMCA SF 06/14
  • 1 minute read

The Marine Safety Forum (MSF) published safety alert 14-07 regarding an incident in which someone using a grease gun managed to inject grease into his arm. 

What happened?

The incident occurred when the person was using a hand held grease gun to lubricate various grease points on earth moving plant. Medical attention was sought resulting in a lengthy operation and removal of a vein in the forearm. This was replaced with an artificial vein.

This is quite an unusual incident but it has occurred before.

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.

Read more
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.

Read more
Towing wire parted

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

Read more
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.

Read more
Cook temporarily trapped in freezer

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

Read more

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.