What happened? During lifting up and securing of a vessel’s retractable gangway, the spring latch of the lifting device disconnected causing an uncontrolled release of the holding wire, and the […]
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
Diver trapped by Anchor Chain
What happened? During diving operations to locate a pipeline end manifold (PLEM) near a single point mooring (SPM), a diver was trapped by an anchor chain. The incident occurred when […]
High potential incident – man injured while falling overboard (MOB)
What happened? Whilst descending stairs to a boat-landing area on an offshore platform, a sub-contracted employee of one of our members tripped on a 2-inch discharge hose that had been […]
Finger trapped and injured whilst moving hatch covers
What happened? An AB sustained a serious finger injury when his finger was trapped while attempting to secure a forecastle hatch whilst securing the area following a mooring operation. What […]
Hand injury during lift operations
What happened? During a mechanical lifting operation using a mobile crane, the crane was required to move and set up at a new location. The crane outrigger stabiliser pads (1.2T […]
Crush injury to hand while attempting to secure crane hook
What happened? While attempting to secure a crane hook to the deck handrail with a polypropylene rope, a rigger’s right hand was caught between the hook shank and the handrail. […]
Petzl Pixa lights as potential dropped objects
A member has noted that certain headlamps supplied for use with certain helmets, as used extensively for working at height in the offshore renewables sector, could come loose and fall. […]
UK HSE prosecution following 2011 fatal explosion in oil refinery
What happened? The UK HSE has prosecuted two companies after an explosion killed four workers and seriously injured another at an oil refinery in Pembrokeshire in 2011. Five workers were […]
Grease itself is a dropped object!
What happened? During crane operations on an offshore vessel, quantities of grease fell from the crane block and landed on deck. The incident occurred in daylight, when a wellhead head […]
Mooring incident: mooring line slipped off and snapped back
What happened? During mooring operations of a cargo barge, a mooring line slipped off the cargo barge bollards, causing it to whip back and hit the attending tug. The tug […]
LTI during mooring operations
What happened? During mooring operations in the forward mooring deck of a large vessel, crew were in the process of sending out lines to line handlers ashore. When sending out […]
Fire main dust cap blown away by pressure from the line
What happened? A fire main dust cap was blown off by pressure from the line and hit the wall 10m away. The incident occurred when a fire team were checking […]
Near miss: dropped magnet during dry docking
What happened? There was a dropped object near miss incident involving a magnet which was used by subcontractors during hot work operations. The incident occurred during a dry docking. Part […]
Line of fire: cutting injury to index finger
Whilst using a safety knife to remove the outer sheaving from a core conductor, a crew member managed to cut his finger. The safety knife slipped through the sheaving and […]
Have a regime when the current’s abeam – ensure adequate manoeuvring space!
What happened? The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has issued Safety Alert 03-19 relating to the consequences of manoeuvring in high current environments. Recently there were three marine casualties that […]
Three fatalities: stored energy; falling objects; traffic management
Incident 1: Stored Energy Release – Worker Killed During Concrete Pumping Operations A company was fined following the death of a worker at a dockside upgrade project at a port […]
Three hand injuries
Incident 1: Fingers and Hands in Rotating Machinery – Employee’s Hand Severed by Machinery A company supplying aluminium parts was fined after an employee suffered serious injuries when using a […]
Don’t put your finger in the wrong place: failure to isolate equipment causes serious finger injury
What happened? While carrying out work to fix the hydraulic arm of an ROV manipulator, the person involved was trying to adjust the position of the piston to align holes […]
Diver fatality during subsea lifting operations – update
This is the second safety alert concerning the fatal diving incident initially drawn to members’ attention in IMCA SF 19/18 Diver fatality during subsea lifting operations. This update specifically relates […]
Line of fire/pinch point – fractured fingers
What happened? A crewman suffered a pinch point injury resulting in two fractured fingers and a fingertip amputation. The incident occurred when a piece of equipment weighing 86kg was being […]
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