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Fatality: Crew member crushed between TMS and snubber ring

What happened

During a maintenance operation, a member of an ROV crew sustained fatal injuries when he was trapped between the top of the tether management system (TMS) and the snubber ring.

What went wrong/causes

It should be noted that this incident remains under investigation. Additional information will be provided in due course.

Lessons learnt/actions taken

  • Maintenance activities should be properly risk assessed and undertaken in accordance with company procedures;
  • Maintenance activities often introduce additional hazards into the workplace; these should be fully understood, assessed and managed;
  • There should be a documented safe system of work, for example, a maintenance manual and/or work instruction;
  • If activation of the equipment is necessary to complete the maintenance activity, for example for testing purposes, extreme care needs to be taken which includes removing all personnel from any danger zone;
  • Avoid undertaking a maintenance activity under a load or between a load and fixed point;
  • Equipment must be turned off and isolated when being worked on.
    The incident highlights the need for strict compliance with the ‘golden’ or ‘life-saving’ rules used by all contractors and clients.

Members may wish to refer to the following incident:

Safety Event

Published: 19 October 2017
Download: IMCA SF 25/17

Relevant life-saving rules:
IMCA Safety Flashes
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