Personal injury following PPE violation and slip and fall on deck

What happened?

A vessel Master was injured when he went to the main deck to perform routine checks without safety footwear or a safety helmet.  While walking on the wet main deck, he slipped and fell, sustaining an injury on his head.  Following first aid administered onboard, he was taken to a local hospital for investigation, and it was confirmed there were no other consequences other than abrasions on the affected area.

What went wrong?  What were the causes?

This alert emphasises the following:

• Leading by (bad) example – all of us should be role models for a good safety culture, but most especially those in leadership positions;
• The importance of PPE compliance – neglecting the use of personal protective equipment is not only a breach of the PPE procedure, but also a disregard for your own person;
• Acceptance of unsafe behaviour – all should be empowered and expected to exercise the ‘stop work policy’;
• A personal decision was made to cut corners – this incident is evidence that shortcuts very rarely save time or energy; the ‘shortcut’ in this case actually cost his colleagues and the company a lot of unplanned time and effort to take proper care of his injury.

What actions were taken?

• Formal warning issued given the deliberate violation of a safety procedure.

Members may wish to refer to:

• How PPE works: Fire and thermal protection
• LTI: engineer injured following engine room slip/trip
• Lost time injury – person slipped on the stairs and broke his arm