What happened A rope access technician had a fatal fall from around 8.5m while engaged in routine maintenance activities on a pipelay tower. Work was conducted by different vessel work […]
Safety Flashes
IMCA safety flashes disseminate important information on incidents and potential hazards and the lessons learnt from them that can help prevent incidents occurring elsewhere in the industry.
Individual safety events are available individually online, tagged and searchable, while the traditional PDF collections are also available for download.
Submit a Report
All members are encouraged to contribute relevant safety-related information – please visit our Safety Flash Reporting page for details on the submission process.
IMCA Contact
Nicholas Hough
Consultant - Safety and Security
Contact
Safety Events
Fall from pilot ladder
What happened A Chief Officer slipped and fell from a pilot ladder onto a lifeboat, suffering minor bruising. The incident occurred on a vessel which was coming to the end […]
Finger Injury while setting up pipe cutting operation
What happened? A crew member was setting up a pipe cutting machine in a vertical position to cut welding that was done on a jumper for repair, when they suffered […]
BSEE: Hazards to Personnel During Lifting Operations
What happened The United States Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has published Safety Alert 468 relating to “red zone” or LINE OF FIRE hazards and increased risk during […]
UK HSE – worker struck in the face by a crane hook
What happened The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has fined a manufacturer after an employee lost an eye when he was struck in the face by a crane hook. […]
Fatality during transfer of pipes
What happened A member passes information to IMCA relating to a recent fatality on a ship alongside. The incident occurred during the transfer of pipework between the quay and vessel. […]
Getting fall arrest equipment right
What happened A crew person was changing the lamp bulbs on the vessel mast, working at a height of around 4m above the deck. The person was wearing a full […]
Paper shredder – explosion
What happened There was a small explosion in an office paper shredder. It happened after the blades were lubricated to ensure that the paper shredder cutting blades ran smoothly and […]
MSF: Air Cylinder – High Pressure Discharge
The Marine Safety Forum (MSF) have published Safety Alert 23-10 relating to a pillar valve failure. What happened During preparations to land a leaking breathing apparatus bottle ashore, a crew […]
BSEE: Improper use and application of high-pressure hoses
The United States Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has published Safety Alert 465 relating to the improper use and application of high-pressure hoses. What happened During a recent […]
Caught between: unplanned movement of equipment leads to severe injuries
What happened? A mechanic was caught in the door of a freight container by a tipped-over hose saddle weighing 3 tonnes. The incident occurred when a team was performing maintenance […]
LTI – Person fractured pelvis in a fall from a ladder
A crew person suffered a fractured pelvis falling 4-5 metres from a temporary access ladder onboard a cargo vessel. The ladder was installed at a previous equipment mobilisation following realisation […]
Unplanned rotation of drilling machinery
What happened A large diameter subsea drill had completed drilling operations and was returned to the vessel’s deck for planned maintenance. Part of the maintenance programme required the drill support […]
CHIRP: Crew vigilance prevents mooring incident
What happened CHIRP – the Confidential Human Factors Incident Reporting Programme – has shared an event in which the careful vigilance of vessel crew prevented a mooring incident. A long, […]
MSF – two recent dropped object incidents
The Marine Safety Forum has published safety alerts on two recent dropped object incidents, both of which have learning value for IMCA members. Incident 1: What happened A breakaway coupling […]
High potential: dropped chain assembly
What happened A chain assembly weighing 2.3kg fell 10m to deck, just glancing the helmet but potentially causing fatal injuries to a worker below. The incident occurred during lowering of […]
Electrocution incident – make sure electrical equipment is safe!
What happened A vessel cook was received a mains electric shock when he simultaneously touched a metal bain-marie (the metal electrically heated serving containers commonly used in messrooms) AND the […]
Near miss with high pressure gas due to incorrect procedures
What happened A crew narrowly avoided potentially serious problems with a high pressure gas supply by stopping and thinking things through. The near miss occurred whilst a crew were setting […]
MSF: person injured falling between decks
The Marine Safety Forum (MSF) has published Safety Alert 23-06 relating to someone who fell 2m between decks on an AHTS (Anchor handling vessel) alongside in port. What happened The […]
Unexpected Descent and Ascent of Mattress Lifting Frame
What happened? A subsea load close to working divers started moving with no intervention from the crane operator. The incident occurred during movement of concrete mattresses using a mattress handling […]
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