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Safety Flashes – a summary of 2022

This is a summary of the 29 IMCA Safety Flashes published during 2022. All the published safety events or incidents are available on the IMCA website as individual web pages at https://www.imca-int.com/safety-events/. Safety Flashes, comprising a number of events or incidents collected as a PDF, are circulated to members (only) by email.

The 29 Flashes covered 76 individual incidents or events shared by IMCA members. A further 64 incidents or events  from information already in the public domain, from different trade bodies and/or regulators, were shared as being of interest. It should be noted that Safety Flashes are intended to be read by our members’ offshore crews, and by office-based safety professionals.

IMCA Safety Flashes are aligned with the IOGP Life-saving Rules. 25% of our members’ incidents or events involved the “Line of Fire” rule. 22% were “By-passing Safety Controls”. For completeness it should be noted that an incident or event might fall under more than one IOGP Life-saving Rule – or under none at all.

  • Line of Fire: Of the 19 incidents or events categorised under “Line of Fire”, six were LTIs. Two were dropped objects. Four were finger injuries, three were foot injuries. Other incidents included an AB caught between when a load was lifted suddenly, a person carried overboard when caught by a moving object, and equipment on the quay being damaged by a crane when a vessel started listing.
  • By-passing Safety Controls: Within the 17 incidents or events categorised under “By-passing Safety Controls”, we see things happening such as a fire door being wedged open, an oil tank sight glass being wired open, unnoticed sub-surface power cables being cut, poorly maintained seals on an emergency hatch, and improperly secured cargo shifting during heavy weather.
  • Equipment failure accounted for 8 – over 10% – of the incidents or events. Six of these events involved failure of chain hoists, slings, rollers, mooring lines or connections during lifting or mooring operations.
  • Fire or potential fire was involved in 4 incidents or events: a lifejacket battery caught fire; there was a flash fire on an Oxygen gas quad hose. A USB power bank caught fire and there was a clogged dryer exhaust with potential for a fire. Only one electric shock incident was shared by IMCA members in 2022.
  • Dropped objects: our members shared three dropped object incidents in Safety Flashes this year. A pipe was dropped from pipe supports; a plate fell from the main mast; and a member took a focus on diverse third party dropped objects including heavy pipes, rigging failures through to nuts and bolts, all having the potential for personal injury.

IMCA welcomes Safety Flash submissions from all members. The information shared is dealt with in the utmost confidentiality, is published anonymously, and only with clear written permission from the contributor. The easiest option is for an IMCA email address to be added to a company internal distribution list – several contractors have done this.  Members can send information to IMCA in any format, provided the text can be copied, or you may use the submission template found here.

The Safety Flashes of 2022

ReferenceItemsPublished
IMCA SF 29/22MAIB: Engine room fire flashover
Clogged tumble-dryer exhaust fan – potential for fire
Dummy hot stab ejected during leak investigation
Near miss: load lifted without notice putting crew in the line of fire
Open toed shoes on an escalator (not work related)
Dec 2022
IMCA SF 28/22MAIB: Worker falls between vessel and quay
Accidental swallowing of paint thinners
Near miss: pipe dropped from pipe supports
Oil tank sight glass push buttons wired open
BSEE: Unsafe chemical use and disposal
Dec 2022
IMCA SF 27/22MAIB: “pinkie is no longer perkie”
LTI: person suffered serious crush injuries
LTI: burns to forearms
LTI: Foot trapped between pipes
MAIB: A scalding injury
Dec 2022
IMCA SF 26/22MAIB: Flooding and sinking of the survey workboat Bella
Vessel collision with underwater objects in harbour
Oil leakage from vessel crane onto quayside
BSEE: A note on repetitive strain injuries
Connection failure during lifting operation
Nov 2022
IMCA SF 25/22MAIB: mv Teal Bay mooring fatality
Failure of moorings during heavy weather
BSEE: Hazards associated with cranes on idle facilities 
BSEE: Unsafe crane working practices result in injury
USCG: Hidden corrosion on deck fittings can cause dangerous failures
Nov 2022
IMCA SF 24/22Focus on third-party dropped objects
Hydraulic Oil Leak to Sea from Downline Fitting
BSEE: Poor preparation prior to hot work leads to fires
Failure to plan properly: electrician sustains serious burns (UK HSE)
Live sub-surface power cable inadvertently cut
Near miss: oily rag activated smoke sensor in vessel laundry area
Nov 2022
IMCA SF 23/22Serious injury during mooring operations: rope parted
Failure of slings during loading operations
BSEE: Stored Energy in Slings Causes Multiple Injuries
Damage to chain hoist subsea
Unsafe transportation and packing arrangements
Oct 2022
IMCA SF 22/22Diver Finger Injury – Scrubber Blower Fan
BSEE: Unsecured Pressurized Hoses Result in Hand Injuries
Cook’s arm scalded while removing food from oven
LTI: fractured finger during anchor handling  
LTI: person struck by uncontrolled swing in chain  
Oct 2022
IMCA SF 21/22BSEE – “Green hats” – training and supervision of short service employees
American P&I Club: Vessel grounding – fatigue was a factor
MAIB: Capsize and sinking of fishing vessel Joanna C – vessel stability
Sep 2022
IMCA SF 20/22LTI: Diver suffered crush injury to finger
High potential incident – Foot trapped under ram cylinder
Fall leading to serious personal injury
Chemical burns to body
Personal injury – burns from hot engine oil to body and face
Sep 2022
IMCA SF 19/22Third-party truck not in appropriate or safe condition
Machinery breakdown leads to a collision
Equipment found live: drawings incorrect for Lock-out/Tag-out
MSF: CO2 system left non-operational after servicing
Accidental release of free-fall lifeboat
Aug 2022
IMCA SF 18/22Flash fire on Oxygen gas quad hose
Damage to flexible riser
USCG: Unexpected Dangers: Lifeboat Remote Control Wires
A focus on journey management
Mixing of cleaning chemicals
Jul 2022
IMCA SF 17/22Broken Chinese Finger
Incorrect operations result in failure of hoist
Man overboard from anchor handler tug
Don’t ASSUME – verify and check
IOGP: Squeezed hand due to unintentional activation of winch
Jul 2022
IMCA SF 16/22BSEE/USCG: Dealing with extreme weather events
American P&I Club: Extreme bollard pull
Lost Time Injuries due to a failed mooring line
LTI – Struck when anchor wire end pulled free of drum clamps
Damage to bulwarks during overboarding of mattresses
Jul 2022
IMCA SF 15/22Fatal crush incident between platform supply vessel and fast rescue craft (2012)
High potential: electric shock near miss
Fire at sea – some timely reminders (Safety4Sea)
NTSB: watertight doors – vessel sank after flooding
Infection: a scratched elbow turns into an LTI
Jun 2022
IMCA SF 14/22Crosby – Important safety notice for 7/8″ 6.5t Anchor ShacklesJun 2022
IMCA SF 13/22Surface decompression near-miss
Near miss: grinder disc rotation set up in the wrong direction
USCG: Exceeding electrical duty rating can lead to failure
Searchlight fell from vessel during heavy weather
MSF: Corrosion in fire-fighting equipment
Jun 2022
IMCA SF 12/22Explosion – hot work in a flammable atmosphere (Transport Malta)
Process Safety Fundamentals – IOGP / Step Change
IOGP: Dropped object with potential for injury – riser release
Safe Use of Ladders and Stepladders
This is not a drill…an LTI during a drill (MSF)
May 2022
IMCA SF 11/22Riggers injured while disconnecting rigging
Near miss: Floor Plate fell from Main Mast during storm
MAIB: Loss of containers overboard – task seen as routine
Maintenance and painting – two incidents
MSF: Manual Handling Injury During Bulk Hose Operations
May 2022
IMCA SF 10/22Communications: LTI finger injury during lifting operations
COBRA System – Hose coupling cross threaded
Diver experienced an air flow restriction
Subsea transponder wire parted
MAIB: Blockage of fixed CO2 fire extinguishing system pilot hoses
Apr 2022
IMCA SF 09/22MAIB Safety Digest 1/2022
USB power bank (Lithium battery) fire
USCG: Lithium battery fire
UK HSE: worker died following fall from crane platform
Riggers struck/trapped by pipe section
Apr 2022
IMCA SF 08/22Mooring near miss: Guide roller pin suffered material failure
American P&I Club: Fire Started from cutting torch work
NTSB: Dangerous engine failure – improper torquing
MSF: Unsafe Cargo Transfer Using Pallets
UK HSE: worker falls from height during oil platform decommissioning
Apr 2022
IMCA SF 07/22MAIB: Unexploded ordnance – subsea explosion causes injury and damage
MAIB: Flooding, capsize and foundering of small vessel after issues with towing wires
Overcoming Language Barriers
MSF: Contact between Vessel and Offshore Installation
Stored energy release: Two fatalities with tyres (IOGP)
Mar 2022
IMCA SF 06/22Fatal fall from collapsing scaffolding on a merchant vessel
Non-fatal man overboard incident
Line of fire: pinched finger between door and frame
Get it fixed!! Deteriorated seals on emergency hatch
MSF: Foreign object in eye
Mar 2022
IMCA SF 05/22Permit to Work and Isolation procedure not followed
MSF: LTI – Fall from Height  (control of work during SIMOPS)
UK HSE: Poor control of work – worker suffered serious injuries
Fractured finger while handling metal plates
UK HSE: Liquid petroleum gas (LPG) leak  
Feb 2022
IMCA SF 04/22Equipment on quay damaged when vessel started listing
UK HSE: Offshore crane boom hoist failures
Cargo shifted during heavy weather
NTSB: Engine Failure leads to fire aboard offshore supply vessel
NTSB: Failure to disconnect and secure vehicle batteries led to fire
Feb 2022
IMCA SF 03/22Near miss: divers umbilical drawn beneath a load
Incorrect as-built drawing configuration
Engine room fire on a ferry
Radio interference from damaged equipment affects other vessels
Life raft lashing parted in rough weather
Jan 2022
IMCA SF 02/22Bailout manifold failure
Master links came free from lifeboat release hooks, releasing the lifeboat
Three bolts sheared on a lifting trunnion
Hose management and chemicals: crew person felt ill
Chemical reaction: person injured during grouting operations
Jan 2022
IMCA SF 01/22American P&I Club: unfamiliarity with semi-portable fire extinguishers
Lifejacket battery caught fire
Fire door left wedged open
UK HSE: uncontrolled movement of fabrication caused injury
LTI: person fell down hatch inside crane pedestal
Jan 2022

Safety Event

Published: 4 January 2023
Download: IMCA SF 01/23

IMCA Safety Flashes
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IMCA Safety Flashes summarise key safety matters and incidents, allowing lessons to be more easily learnt for the benefit of all. The effectiveness of the IMCA Safety Flash system depends on Members sharing information and so avoiding repeat incidents. Please consider adding [email protected] to your internal distribution list for safety alerts or manually submitting information on incidents you consider may be relevant. All information is anonymised or sanitised, as appropriate.

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