What happened? During inspection of the vessel crane, it was noted that a steel spacer plate had become partially detached due to corrosion forming behind the plate. The plate had […]
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 fatality during subsea lifting operations
Note: This incident is still under investigation. What happened? During the removal of a spool at 172msw, divers were engaged in lift bag operations to relocate the spool to a […]
Wire rope sling failed during lifting operations
What happened? The Marine Safety Forum (MSF) has published Safety Alert 18-18 regarding the failure of equipment on an anchor handling vessel (AHV) during chain handling operations. The crew were […]
Lost time injury (LTI): ankle injuries during loading operations
What happened? An experienced AB suffered serious ankle injuries during offloading operations. A vessel was delivering drill pipe casings to a jack-up rig when he was hit by the casing […]
MSF: three potential near misses during cargo operations
Three recent safety alerts have been released by the MSF, all relating to high potential near misses during cargo operations. One of the incidents is a dropped object near miss […]
High potential near miss: worker inadvertently lifted by crane (Marine Safety Forum)
What happened? The Marine Safety Forum (MSF) have released Safety Alert 18-07, which shows that during routine operations using a platform crane to transfer a bulk hose between a platform […]
Missing protection cover becomes potential dropped object
The Marine Safety Forum (MSF) reports a near miss incident in which a small protective cover was lost from the deck of a vessel, and was later found in the […]
Worker hit by steel plate falling from crane
What happened? The UK Health & Safety Executive (UK HSE) reports that a company has been fined after an employee was injured when he was struck by a steel plate […]
BSEE: potentially catastrophic crane and lifting incidents
What happened? The United States’ Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has published Safety Alert no. 329 relating to four recent safety incidents involving cranes and lifting devices: While […]
Dropped object – intermediate bulk container (IBC)
What happened? An intermediate bulk container (IBC) was dropped from a crane to deck. The incident occurred when a vessel crane was being used with a certified lifting device to […]
Port company fined after 600kg FIBC bag falls on employee
What happened? The UK Health & Safety Executive (UK HSE) have prosecuted Associated British Ports (ABP) for safety breaches after a flexible intermediate bulk container weighing 600kg fell and struck […]
Potential dropped objects left on loaded cargo
What happened? A member reports numerous instances of potential dropped objects being found on containers and equipment being loaded from port and offshore facilities. What went wrong? What were the […]
Load exceeding safe working load (SWL) leads to overstressed and damaged rigging
What happened? During a recent decommissioning operation, shears were used to cut a pipeline. The shear tool was rigged to the crane in a vertical fashion. The shear tool was […]
A structural failure leads to uncontrolled motion of a ‘Billy Pugh’ basket and injuries to crew
What happened The United States Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has issued a bulletin about an incident in which a ‘Billy Pugh’ basket was subject to uncontrolled motion […]
Pin from crane block sheave guard fell 25m
What happened A member of UK Step Change in Safety reports an incident in which a main block sheave guard came loose from the main crane block and fell approximately […]
High potential dropped object near miss: Object fell from cargo
What happened The Marine Safety Forum (MSF) reports an incident in which a piece of grating weighing 17kg fell from a load. It fell 6-7m to deck. Crew were on […]
Worker crushed by dropped/falling object
What happened? A load from the top of a double-decked trailer fell onto a worker, causing life-changing injuries. His employer was prosecuted by the UK HSE and fined. See press […]
High potential near miss: slip on tag line during crane operations
What happened? The Marine Safety Forum (MSF) reports an incident in which a crewman slipped and fell during lifting operations. The incident occurred when a vessel was preparing for cargo […]
Uncontrolled movement of crane block and pennant during lifting operations at sea
What happened? During bunkering operations between two vessels at sea, there was an uncontrolled movement of a crane block, resulting in a pennant striking a supply vessel, placing personnel in […]
Bunkering hose dropped to deck – incorrect lifting procedure
What happened? A bunkering hose was dropped to deck from 11m in the air. A vessel had just completed cargo operations with a supply vessel. The operation had included the […]
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