Parted tag line caused damage during lifting operations

What happened

A tagline parted under excess tension when moving a LiDAR buoy weighing 2.4 tonnes, causing the buoy to move in an unexpected way. The incident occurred when the buoy controlled by two tag lines was being recovered to deck using the vessel crane. A worker on deck, who had been positioned to support the landing of the buoy onto its landing cradle, was struck when the buoy moved. Additionally, the uncontrolled movement of the buoy caused damage to the vessel and the buoy itself. The worker was not harmed.

What went wrong

Our members’ investigation established that:

• The worker who was struck was in the wrong place at the wrong time – they were improperly positioned on deck;
• There was no documented process detailing the recovery of buoys;
• The lift plan was not compliant with existing company procedures;
• The Tool Box Talk (TBT) lacked detail and was too generic;
• There was insufficient supervision and training in place, as the person in charge of the lift was not trained as a lift supervisor, and was busy working a tag line at the time of the event.

Lessons

• Ensure lift activities are properly planned and approved using a lift plan which identifies all the risks and helps to communicate the task at the worksite during the Toolbox talk;
• Lift supervisors should supervise effectively and monitor a lifting operation without distraction. Don’t get involved with actually doing the job yourself – take a step back and keep an overview of the situation;
• Stop the job if a Life Saving Rule is not being followed – Stop, reposition and start again when it is safe to do so;
• Dynamic risk assessments are crucial. All the time, be asking yourself questions such as:
  • Where are you in relation to the load?
  • Where is the load going?
  • Where is your exit route?

Actions taken

• Lift Plans for this task were updated and approved by a qualified person;
• Relevant crew completed lift supervisor training to comply with company and local regulatory requirements;
• Re-iterated the importance and usage of standard lift plans;
• Re-assessed training plans to ensure sufficiently trained crew are available for future lifting operations.

Members may wish to refer to:

• MSF: Near-miss – trapped tagline pins banksman against stanchion
• Communications: LTI finger injury during lifting operations
• Line of fire LTI: Finger injury during lifting operations