MAIB: fatality during transfer from a workboat to a barge
- Safety Flash
- Published on 22 July 2021
- Generated on 17 June 2025
- IMCA SF 20/21
- 2 minute read
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published Accident Investigation Report 6/2021 into the death of a crewman whilst transferring between the workboat Beinn Na Caillich and a barge at a fish farm.
What happened?
The assistant manager of a fish farm drowned after falling into the water from a feed barge access ladder during a boat transfer.
He stepped from the deck onto the ladder while Beinn Na Caillich was still moving forward, and he was crushed between the boat and the barge.
A fish farm technician on board the barge attempted to stop the injured assistant manager from falling into the water by holding onto the back of his personal flotation device and oilskin jacket, but the severely injured casualty slipped out of them.
Despite the assistant manager being recovered from the water and the determined efforts of the fish farm workers, emergency services, and medical staff, the assistant manager could not be resuscitated.
What went wrong?
The investigation concluded that:
- The conduct of the boat transfer had not been properly planned or briefed and was not adequately supervised or controlled.
- The transfer of personnel by workboat had not been properly risk assessed, and safe systems of work had not been put in place.
- The crew on board the workboat Beinn Na Caillich were not fully prepared to deal with the emergency situation. They had not conducted regular man overboard recovery drills and were not familiar with the vessel’s recovery equipment.
- Neither the workboat nor the fish farm which owned the workboat had an effective marine safety management system and both lacked staff with the experience to oversee the marine operation.
Fuller details are available here: Accident Investigation Report 6/2021.
Actions / recommendations
- Ensure thorough preparation, planning and risk assessment for small boat activities and personnel transfer.
- Ensure appropriate man overboard recovery drills are held and that all personnel are familiar with emergency equipment.
- Ensure there are sufficient trained and experienced crew to do the job safely.
Please see IMCA HSS025 Guidance on the transfer of personnel to and from offshore vessels and structures
Related Safety Flashes
-
IMCA SF 03/21
19 January 2021
-
-
IMCA SF 21/20
13 July 2020
-
-
IMCA SF 21/20
13 July 2020
-
-
IMCA SF 03/20
30 January 2020
-
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.