Fatality: Crew member crushed between TMS and snubber ring
- Safety Flash
- Published on 19 October 2017
- Generated on 17 September 2025
- IMCA SF 25/17
- 1 minute read
During a maintenance operation, a member of an ROV crew sustained fatal injuries when he was trapped between the top of the tether management system (TMS) and the snubber ring.
What went wrong? What were the causes?
It should be noted that this incident remains under investigation.
Additional information will be provided in due course.
What lessons were learnt? What actions were taken?
- Maintenance activities should be properly risk assessed and undertaken in accordance with company procedures.
- Maintenance activities often introduce additional hazards into the workplace; these should be fully understood, assessed and managed.
- There should be a documented safe system of work, for example, a maintenance manual and/or work instruction.
- If activation of the equipment is necessary to complete the maintenance activity, for example for testing purposes, extreme care needs to be taken which includes removing all personnel from any danger zone.
- Avoid undertaking a maintenance activity under a load or between a load and fixed point.
- Equipment must be turned off and isolated when being worked on.
- The incident highlights the need for strict compliance with the ‘golden’ or ‘life-saving’ rules used by all contractors and clients.
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