In its latest Mars Report, the Nautical Institute warns crews to document the full state of affairs of a ship before handover to the next crew to prevent information being lost.
The Nautical Institute gathers reports of maritime accidents and near-misses. It then publishes these so-called Mars (Mariners’ Alerting and Reporting Scheme) Reports (anonymously) to prevent other accidents from happening. This is one of these reports.
A vessel was undergoing a class inspection. During the inspection, the crew were surprised to find that the lower compartment of a crane pedestal contained many sealed paint cans. The master was immediately notified and the paint was transferred to the paint locker. The company was also informed and the Designated Person Ashore (DPA) initiated an investigation.
The company investigation found that the paint stored in the crane pedestal was not listed in the vessel inventory, despite a recent update. The paint was transferred to the pedestal during the last dry dock because of a lack of space in the paint locker and ongoing work in the area. The crew who had attended the drydock work did not report this information to the relief crew. The paint in the pedestal was subsequently forgotten due to crew turnover and a deficient inventory listing.
Advice from The Nautical Institute
- The paint locker on a vessel is the ONLY place to store paint and related products. This space is approved for this use and is protected by fixed fire extinguishing equipment.
- Crew handovers are opportunities for information to be lost. Make sure the full state of affairs on your vessel is documented for handover.
- Ship store inventories are important tools for quality vessel management. Keep them true.
Mars Reports
This accident was covered in the Mars Reports, originally published as Mars 202412, that are part of Report Number 377. A selection of the Mars Reports are also published in the SWZ|Maritime magazine. The Nautical Institute compiles these reports to help prevent maritime accidents. That is why they are also published (in full) on SWZ|Maritime’s website.
More reports are needed to keep the scheme interesting and informative. All reports are read only by the Mars coordinator and are treated in the strictest confidence. To submit a report, please use the Mars report form.
