Rope access technician slipped and dislocated shoulder
- Safety Flash
- Published on 3 October 2023
- Generated on 8 November 2025
- IMCA SF 23/23
- 2 minute read
A rope access technician dislocated his right shoulder while accessing the vessel transom port-side platform, following buoyancy module pad retrieval from the pipe string.
What happened?
Upon reaching the buoy loader area, the rope access technician climbed on top of the platform handrail, lost grip when reaching for the handrail, and fell approximately 1 m.
What went wrong?
The rope access technician lost grip after stepping with both feet on the wet and slippery handrail (angled stiffener).
Due to the wet, slippery environment and due to one grease-contaminated glove, he was unable to sustain his body weight with his hands and fell simultaneously rotating his body which was still connected to the ropes, leading to a dislocated shoulder.
Rope access technician lost grip after stepping on slippery handrail
What was the cause?
Our Member noted the cause as inadequate risk planning and risk assessment.
Lessons and actions
- For rope access operations in particular, task planning and Job Safety Analysis should be exhaustive and detailed.
- Taking shortcuts, no matter how trivial, has the potential to trigger a chain of events that can lead to an incident.
Our Member:
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