Crew were preparing the gangway prior to arrival as the vessel approached port. As part of this process, crew had to climb several steps on the gangway stowage rack integrated ladder and release the stowage cleats fore and aft. A well-practised procedure, but one with several “safety traps” warns The Nautical Institute in a new Mars Report.
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 accomplished this well-established routine, but while stepping down from the ladder he slipped from a height of about 1.2 metres, falling on the deck and landing on his right leg. The impact caused a fracture of the right knee.
Also read: Hazard in plain sight on supply vessel causes catastrophic injury
Advice from The Nautical Institute
- This common and well-practised procedure did not appear to be hazardous. Crew had accomplished this task innumerable times without incident. But after the accident, we can see that the integrated ladder, as installed, poses several “safety traps”.
- The ladder gives good access to the gangway securing cleats, but also gives a false sense of security. One hand is needed to hold yourself steady on the ladder, while one hand is free to work the cleat.
- The relatively low height of the access ladder adds to the false sense of security, after all, what can happen at such a low height? This accident proves that even a fall of 1.2 metres can cause a serious injury.
Also read: Watch out for unsafe conditions on board hiding in plain sight
Mars Reports
This accident was covered in the Mars Reports, originally published as Mars 202518. 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.
Picture by The Nautical Institute.
Also read: Ladder deficiency allows fall to quay
