Confined space fatality in shipyard
- Safety Flash
- Published on 2 October 2015
- Generated on 14 July 2025
- IMCA SF 14/15
- 2 minute read
A rope access worker lost his life in a fatal incident at a fabrication site.
What happened?
The rope access worker was tasked to descend into a 90cm diameter and 30m depth Riser Guide Tube (RGT) via the rope access method, to retrieve a piece of foam from the RGT. After descending for about 5 minutes, the worker lost contact with his co-workers on top of the RGT. He was rescued and immediately conveyed to hospital by the yard’s ambulance, but was pronounced dead by the attending doctor.
What went wrong?
- A Permit to Work was authorized and issued without Job Safety Analysis having taken place for high-risk confined space entry activity
- Suitable rescue equipment for confined space entry was not available at site location. No written procedure/method statement was available during Job Safety Analysis (or briefed to the work crew before implementation)
- No pre-entry gas test immediately before entry into confined space (or recognition that the activity would itself release confined gas).
The corrective actions and recommendations were:
- Elimination of need to enter confined space. Method changed to eliminate need to enter confined space
- Risk assessment – Construction supervision/expertise should attend all risk assessments relating to their area of responsibility
- Training – shipyard should provide training relating to the correct use of and wearing of personal gas detectors
- Job Safety Analysis (JSA) meetings on the project must be approved by all parties prior to the associated work permit being granted
- Emergency extraction – shipyard should ensure that mechanical means of man extraction are available at all times during rope access.
Members may wish to review Guidance on safety in shipyards.
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.