Pallet strop hook broke and hit AB

The Marine Safety Forum (MSF) has published a safety alert regarding an incident in which a strop hook broke and hit a crewmember. The incident occurred during maintenance on deck. Vessel crew discovered a roller on a winch that was stuck. They decided to try and loosen it by using the rail crane fitted on the vessel. When the crane driver tried to pull it loose the pallet strap hook broke off the crane hook and hit a sailor in the back. He was severely injured.

The information provided by the MSF does not record what steps were taken to secure the pallet strop hook safely or the medical treatment provided to the injured person.

The brief and initial conclusions drawn are repeated here:

• The pallet strop hook was incorrectly secured to the crane hook making it much weaker than the safe working load (SWL) of the lifting strops;
• Equipment was used incorrectly;
• Crew were stood in the snapback zone;
• There was inadequate planning and risk assessment.

The full report can be found at marinesafetyforum.org/images/msf-safety-alert-16.20.pdf

Members may wish to refer to the following incidents (search words: snapped. hook):

• Fatality during anchor handling operation
• IMCA safety flash 15/15 – this safety flash concerns incidents during lifting operations