What happened? At the end of a saturation dive, a main bell wire was damaged by the proximity switch bracket (chandelier) being picked up by a single broken wire on […]
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
Main bell wire rope failed destructive test
What happened A main bell wire rope sample from a DSV failed to an adequate safety factor after 245 bell runs since installation. Following this failure of the annual breaking […]
Lone worker collapsed at onshore site
What happened? A person collapsed at a workshop facility due to a non-work related, pre-existing medical condition. The person was unable to call for help and was not discovered until […]
A reminder on watertight doors
What happened Watertight doors that ought have been secured shut, were observed open during a safety walkaround. It’s worth reiterating the importance of watertight doors – the clue is in […]
UK HSE: worker injured by falling stack of batteries in Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers
What happened The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have issued a press release relating to a case where an employee was severely injured after batteries weighing at least 300kg […]
Loss of heading control on an FPU during diving operations
What happened During diving operations at an FPU (floating production unit), the forward thruster was isolated, and the turret locked, in line with diving isolation procedures. The starboard aft thruster […]
Implosion of chemical tank
What happened? A chemical tank, partly filled with Monoethylene Glycol (MEG), imploded on the back deck of a vessel, resulting in a spillage of around two cubic metres of MEG […]
USCG: hazard from discarded munitions
The United States Coastguard (USCG) had published Safety Alert 02-24 relating to hazards presented by discarded ammunition. The alert was issued to raise awareness of lurking hazards caused by discarded […]
Person injured when chain hoist container failed at securing point
What happened? An overhead electric chain hoist container/box weighing approx. 30kg fell around 0.8m onto a crew member. The incident occurred whilst crew were working on adjustment of a heavy […]
LTI: person slipped climbing out of tank
What happened A crew person was injured getting out of a fresh water tank on a vessel. The incident occurred during cleaning of the tank. The injured person was in […]
Person struck and injured during lifting operations
What happened The incident occurred during decommissioning activities on board a spar, where a fire water pump skid had to be removed. It was gouged out from the top of […]
Person pulled to deck by fall arrest harness
What happened? During moonpool preparations for running the a tool in the hole, the crane whip line was being lowered to deck under supervision of the deck supervisor. A third-party […]
High potential: sea water inlet pipe leakage in engine room
What happened Vessel crew noticed seawater ingress on a pipe very close to the inside of the hull. The leak was noticed whilst the vessel was offshore when engine crew […]
Security: Illegal boarding – theft while the vessel at anchor
What happened? An intruder armed with a knife boarded a vessel at anchor in Luanda, Angola. The intruder was discovered during the hours of darkness when a member of the […]
MSF: Chemical Handling – Eye Burn
What happened The Marine Safety Forum published Safety Alert 23-20 relating to someone getting an eye injury as a result of getting chemicals in their eye. The incident occurred when […]
Pipeline End Manifold yoke dropped from 45° position
What happened During adjustment of the yoke securing arrangement for a PLEM (Pipe Line End Manifold), the cargo strap failed resulting in the yoke falling and landing in its horizontal […]
LTI: Damage and personal injury arising from heavy weather
What happened On a vessel waiting on weather, a weathertight door in the crane pedestal from the main deck to the crane room was forced open by a large wave […]
Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV) hit protruding scaffolding on a supply vessel
What happened? During transfer of crew to an Offshore Supply Vessel (OSV) at anchor, a Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV) came into contact with protruding scaffolding on the OSV, causing minor […]
Heavy equipment fell over during manual handling
What happened? During manual handling of a heavy control cabinet, the centre of gravity was compromised, and the cabinet fell over onto a crew member’s leg, resulting in a bruise […]
UK HSE: Crane boom collapse
What happened The UK HSE has fined an offshore drilling company after the catastrophic collapse of a crane boom. See here for the press release. The HSE reported: “Nobody was […]
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