What happened? The UK HSE reports that a civil engineering company has been sentenced for safety breaches after a worker suffered fatal crush injuries when he was caught between two […]
Safety Flashes
IMCA safety flashes disseminate important information on incidents and potential hazards and the lessons learnt from them that can help prevent incidents occurring elsewhere in the industry.
Individual safety events are available individually online, tagged and searchable, while the traditional PDF collections are also available for download.
Submit a Report
All members are encouraged to contribute relevant safety-related information – please visit our Safety Flash Reporting page for details on the submission process.
IMCA Contact
Nicholas Hough
Consultant - Safety and Security
Contact
Safety Events
Galvanic corrosion causes dropped object – satellite dome fell from mast
What happened? A vessel was sailing in its assigned standby location during heavy weather when the VSAT satellite antenna dome mounted on the vessel’s mast fell off and landed in […]
High potential dropped object – satellite dome fell from mast
Note: this incident happened recently and is still under investigation. What happened? During a vessel transit in moderate seas, when the vessel was rolling and pitching, the Sat C dome […]
High potential near miss: dropped object – spark arrestor
What happened? An 18kg spark arrestor fell 16 metres from the funnel stack and landed on the FRC deck. No-one was injured but this was considered a serious near miss. […]
Potential dropped objects left on loaded cargo
What happened? A member reports numerous instances of potential dropped objects being found on containers and equipment being loaded from port and offshore facilities. What went wrong? What were the […]
Snapped mooring line
What happened? A mooring line (stern line) was passed through the starboard chock from aft station while the vessel was entering the lock at a port. This mooring line was […]
Near miss: Potential dropped object due to unsecured door
What happened? Step Change in Safety reports an incident in which there was a potential dropped object due to an unsecured door on a load. The incident occurred when a […]
LTI: Finger injury while using ‘safe hands’ tool
What happened? Step Change in Safety reports an incident in which a crewman sustained a finger injury while using a ‘safe hands’ tool to manoeuvre a container into place. Crew […]
LTI: Feet trapped in motion compensated telescopic gangway
What happened A crewman got his feet trapped under the sliding step of an Ampelmann motion compensated telescopic gangway. The incident occurred during the hours of darkness when he was […]
Unplanned release of stored energy: Worker struck and injured by tensioning tool
What happened? The International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) has published Safety Alert 293 about an incident in which a worker was struck on the head and seriously […]
Finger injury while using a crowbar to try to shift a large shackle
What happened? During anchor handling operations, one anchor was on deck and crew were required to connect a wire socket to the anchor by using a shackle. The wire socket […]
Arm injury whilst using pillar drill
What happened? The Marine Safety Forum (MSF) reports another incident wherein a crew person was injured following misuse of a pillar drill. Crew were in the process of using a […]
Failure of steel wire sling
What happened? During offshore wind farm construction, pull wires were being laid. One small vessel was acting as a winch vessel, and another as an anchor. These vessels were connected […]
Lost time injury – person slipped on the stairs and broke his arm
What happened? A member of the engine room team suffered a serious injury to his left forearm while carrying a pail of lubrication oil from the steering flat to the […]
Four hand and finger injury incidents
Incident 1 – Company fined after exposing workers to Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) What happened? The HSE is reminding companies of the necessity of monitoring workers’ health after an […]
Dropped object: Window fell from crane cabin
What happened A window came loose from the crane operator’s cabin on a DSV, and fell approximately 4m to deck. No one was injured. It happened when, during a pause […]
Finger injury: What happens when you DON’T use the right tool for the right job
What happened A crewman attempted to remove the impeller from a fire pump using a hammer and punching rod. While he was hammering, a steel splinter of the punching rod […]
Near miss: Worker in dockyard almost struck by a ‘cherry picker’ crane
What happened A member reports a near miss incident in which a worker was almost hit by a ‘cherry picker’ mobile crane. Whilst walking to a dry dock, a shipyard […]
Two yard-based fatal road traffic accidents (UK HSE)
Incident 1: Worker fatally crushed between two articulated vehicles What happened The UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a road haulage firm after an employee was crushed between […]
Lost time injury (LTI): Finger injury during main engine exhaust valve overhaul
What happened An engineer suffered a crushed finger when there was an unplanned movement of a main engine exhaust valve during maintenance. The second engineer and a fitter were working […]
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