Maintenance on a cargo ship’s provision crane took a wrong turn after a crew member did not insert the locking pin through the thimble eye. The Nautical Institute describes this omission, which came to light during the crane’s load test, 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 cargo vessel was undergoing maintenance in a shipyard. Work on the provision crane was in progress and staging had been rigged to give access to the crane’s hydraulic ram, which was dismantled for overhauling. While maintenance work was still in progress on the hydraulic ram, ship’s crew were assigned to change the crane’s hoisting wire.
There was no staging rigged at this location. In order to connect the thimble end of the new wire to the securing point at the head of the crane boom, a crew member lay on his stomach over the crane boom and inserted the locking pin through the thimble eye with his outstretched hands. Essentially working by feel alone, the crew member inadvertently and unknowingly put the pin back in place without passing it through the thimble. The thimble remained in place, stuck between the boom structure and the locking pin.
Three days later, the hydraulic ram had been fitted, and the provision crane was load tested. A water bag of the required weight was lifted and swung outboard. As the load came on the wire, the thimble eye of the hoisting wire came out of its stuck position. The crane’s block, water bag and dynamometer fell in the water. They were later retrieved by shipyard staff.
Also read: Fatal fall from crane grab
Advice from The Nautical Institute
- After any safety significant work by crew, a senior officer should undertake a close-up inspection of the finished task for quality assurance.
- Proper access to the workspace is a must. Never “work blind”.
Also read: Gangway falls from crane causing one fatality
Mars Reports
This accident was covered in the Mars Reports, originally published as Mars 202532. 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: Never cross the gantry crane rails while the crane is in use
