What happened? A dropped object event occurred when a crane wireless remote control unit fell from the main deck to the ROV winch room deck below. An operator was controlling […]
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
Positive: parted mooring lines spotted before damage could occur
What happened? Two barges were tied up and moored at an anchorage. Crew were working on a third barge when they spotted the unusual position of another barge, and suspected […]
Crane hydraulic hose caught on protruding grease fitting
What happened? While retracting the outer jib of the boom during crane operations, one of the hydraulic hoses caught on the protruding grease fitting of the boom bearings, which could […]
Crushed finger injury during wire transfer operations
What happened? Able seamen were assisting with overboarding an ROV hook (connected to the lower drum tow wire) over the stern of the vessel until it could run freely on […]
Unsafe lifting operations
A member reports two incidences of unsafe lifting, which are worthy of note. Incident 1 Unsafe Lifting Operations By sub-contractor On a platform supply vessel (PSV) involved in demobilization operations […]
Deliberate failure to follow instructions: unsafe/quarantined tools brought back into use
What happened? During a routine vessel inspection, crew were observed using a grinder with a selector switch as opposed to a paddle switch, which was contrary to procedures and communication […]
MAIB: Loss of cargo containers overboard from container ship Ever Smart
What happened? The United Kingdom Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published Accident Investigation Report 14/2020 relating to an incident in which 42 freight containers were lost overboard during a […]
US Coast Guard: Damaged control cables can contribute to unintended opening of a hook
What happened? The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has released Safety Alert 03-20 relating to the importance of checking the integrity of lifeboat control cabling. The Safety Alert addresses the […]
US Coast Guard: Addressing hazardous area electrical issues
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has published Safety Alert 05/20 entitled Electrical Issues Spark Major Concern – Addressing Hazardous Area Electrical Installations Knowledge Gaps. The Safety Alert emphasizes the […]
UK HSE: Two workers suffer multiple burn injuries
What happened? An oil refinery company was sentenced for safety breaches after a 2013 incident in which two workers suffered life-changing injuries from an uncontrolled release of high pressure and […]
LTI: Leg Fractured While Loading Tubulars
What happened? A load shifted during cargo operations, pinning a crewman’s leg between the deck and the load, causing a broken leg. The incident occurred on a vessel which was […]
Hand injury from portable handheld Angle Grinder
What happened? A worker was injured whilst cleaning equipment using a portable handheld angle grinder fitted with a wire brush. The rotating brush caught an edge and kicked into the […]
Serious leg injury from falling winch sheave
What happened? An umbilical winch sheave was being hand-rolled along the deck when it fell over and struck the leg of one of the people handling it. Crew were rolling […]
Near miss: sudden Loss of air from diver bail-out bottle
What happened? A diver was returning to the dive basket to be recovered when he heard a “popping” sound and realised his first-stage regulator appeared to have failed and the […]
Fall of a suspended load on general cargo vessel ZEA Servant injuring two crew
What happened? The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published an Accident Investigation Report 11/2020 relating to an incident on the general cargo vessel ZEA Servant in Campbeltown, Scotland. […]
Dropped Object from Derrick
What happened? While running in drill pipe on a drilling vessel, part of a guide sheave failed and fell approximately 15m to the drill floor. A ‘Red Zone’ was in […]
Provisions Crane damaged by Main Deck Crane
What happened? During vessel mobilization the boat cradle had to be shifted from centre of the main deck towards the starboard side closer to the accommodation. The Main Crane was […]
Near miss: Lever Hoist Failure
What happened? A lever hoist failed causing a load to descend to deck in an uncontrolled manner. The near miss incident occurred when a set of 1m trenching swords were […]
High potential DROPS near miss: failed crane component
What happened? Whilst preparing a crane for operations, the additional man riding calliper brake casing cover on the primary winch failed, causing the brake pad, rings and cover to fall […]
Unsafe Use of Hand grinder with damaged disc
What happened? Grinding machine was observed as used with damaged grinding disc. Broken disc projectile could potentially cause serious injuries. Many other workers have been injured when angle grinders have […]
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