An engine crew member was assembling the sewage air blower motor back into position after maintenance.
While doing so, he badly hurt his finger. The Nautical Institute describes the incident 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.
He had to lower the motor vertically to align with the shaft below. Since it was a small motor, he thought it safe to align it with his hands while wearing gloves.
Once the motor was aligned, he had to lower it into the slot. While doing this, his grip loosened, and the motor slid down under gravity. The victim’s right forefinger was severely pinched between the motor body and base plate. He was able to remove his finger, but the fingertip was badly mangled.
Also read: Crew member’s fingers crushed during maintenance
Advice from The Nautical Institute
- When deciding how to do a job, bear in mind all the hazards and the worst-case scenario. An informal way of doing this is called take five. That is, take five minutes to review the task in your mind’s eye. Ask yourself ‘What could go wrong here?’
- Proper tools or engineering controls are your first line of defence. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is the final barrier and may ultimately fail to protect.
- Even the most mundane of tasks can leave lasting scars if proper methods of work are not adopted.
Also read: SOV gangway crushes crew member’s foot
Mars Reports
This accident was covered in the Mars Reports, originally published as Mars 202612. 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.
