Changes in a safety system can create new hazards warns The Nautical Institute in a new Mars Report. In this report, dry dock work resulted in a new tripping hazard.
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.
During dry dock work, a contractor was assigned to perform an electrical job in the steering gear compartment. Wooden deck covers were removed so that a ladder could be placed.
When the ladder was removed, the wooden deck cover was not immediately placed back in position. The securing cleat for the deck cover, which protruded above the deck and was painted the same colour, was now a perfect tripping hazard. Within a short time, a person tripped on this hazard and needed first aid attention.
Also read: Crew member suffers injury from hazard in plain sight
Advice from The Nautical Institute
- Changes in a safety system can create new hazards. In this case a well-marked deck cover was removed without consideration of a new hazard being created, that of the newly exposed securing cleat.
- A review of the workspace by a safety minded crew before and after the task can help reduce existing risks or newly created ones.
Also read: Hazard in plain sight on supply vessel causes catastrophic injury
Mars Reports
This accident was covered in the Mars Reports, originally published as Mars 202540. 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.
