Lockout/tagout (LOTO) is an important procedure when conducting jobs on board a ship. In a new Nautical Institute Mars Report, a crew member had to perform checks, but only the tagout part was completed.
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 crew member was told to verify the steering light on the forward mast while the vessel was under way. Before ascending the mast, the crew member radioed the bridge to inform the officer of the watch (OOW) and request that the Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO) tag be put on the bridge foghorn activator.
The master was also on the bridge and, as he went to the bridge wing, he remembered there were also foghorn activators there. He informed the OOW and LOTO tags were installed on those activators as well.
Also read: No lockout/tagout results in burns for engine room crew member
Advice from The Nautical Institute
- Lockout/tagout (LOTO) is an important procedure that can only be truly effective if both the “lockout” and the “tagout” have been completed. In this case, only the “tagout” was accomplished.
- Putting “tagout” signs on an activator may be reassuring, but this action alone does not prevent the stored energy from being accidently released. This practice surreptitiously undermines the goal of LOTO which is to prevent 100% of accidents related to accidental energy release.
Also read: Checklist mentality on ships is a burning problem
Mars Reports
This accident was covered in the Mars Reports, originally published as Mars 202512. 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.
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