What happened? An umbilical termination head (UTH) guide cone funnel fell from its sleeve connected to the UTH body. The UTH was the 2nd end of the umbilical. It had […]
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.
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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
Near miss: emergency stop pressed accidentally
What happened? During DP operations a vessel lost its Port azimuth thruster. The vessel suspended DP operations and safely pulled out of the 500m zone to allow investigation. It was […]
Snake on-board vessel
What happened? During a safety walk round, it was observed that a snake was on top of the anchor winch while vessel was at anchor near a port. What were […]
Petzl Pixa lights as potential dropped objects
A member has noted that certain headlamps supplied for use with certain helmets, as used extensively for working at height in the offshore renewables sector, could come loose and fall. […]
Use of surge protected devices on-board vessels
What happened? A surge protected extension lead failed resulting in it overheating and burning. Surveyors heard an audible ‘snap’ and then observed that three of their monitors had lost power. […]
Grounding of bulk carrier Kuzma Minin at Falmouth
What happened? The UK Marine Accident Investigation (MAIB) has published its report into the grounding of the Russian bulk carrier Kuzma Minin at Falmouth Bay, England, in December 2018. See […]
Ruptured acetylene hose: Fire
What happened? A subcontractor was preparing to use an oxy-acetylene torch on the back deck of a vessel. The oxygen and acetylene cylinders were located on the quayside with the […]
Near Miss: Fire blanket caught fire during third-party hot work
What happened? While conducting a fire watch round on a vessel in port, a 2nd mate noticed that a fire blanket on the midships fire hose box had caught fire. […]
Fire hazard posed by personal electronic devices
What happened? A fire incident occurred in a seafarer’s cabin due to a faulty mobile phone charger. The charger was left plugged in while unattended and an electrical short circuit […]
Lithium batteries: Fire following the failure of a helicopter start power unit
What happened? The vessel fire alarm panel indicated an activated smoke detector in the Heli admin office. Upon investigation, crew found the Heli admin office to be filled with smoke; […]
Battery fire with subsequent gas explosion: Warning about lithium-ion power following ferry fire
What happened The Norwegian Maritime Authority or Sjofartsdirektoratet has published an alert concerning a small fire that erupted in the battery room onboard the MF Ytterøyningen passenger ferry. Firefighting started […]
Update to SF 11/19: Fatality and multiple injuries – flash fire onboard pipe-lay barge
This Safety Flash comprises an update on the flash fire which occurred onboard a pipe-lay barge earlier in 2019, and includes our members’ findings on the causes of the incident, […]
Loss of rig anchor wire from vessel Karm Fork
What happened? There was an unplanned retraction of the Karm Fork on an Anchor Handling vessel, leading to an anchor tow wire and chain to be dropped. The incident occurred […]
Near miss – diving operations while alongside
What happened? A vessel main engine was started while the divers were in the water, and the engine was immediately shut down again by the bridge. The diver was able […]
UK HSE prosecution following 2011 fatal explosion in oil refinery
What happened? The UK HSE has prosecuted two companies after an explosion killed four workers and seriously injured another at an oil refinery in Pembrokeshire in 2011. Five workers were […]
UK HSE Investigation into Offshore Gas Explosion
What happened? The UK HSE has fined Marathon Oil UK LLC (Marathon) £1,160,000 following an investigation into a high-pressure gas release on the Brae Alpha offshore platform on 26 December […]
For want of a watchman the ship was lost
What happened? The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has published Marine Safety Alert 07-19 entitled ‘For want of a watchman the ship was lost’. It tells the story of a […]
BBC news: worker loses hand after he was injured with faulty hydraulic cutting gear
What happened? A firefighter whose hand was amputated after he was injured by faulty cutting gear has received £1.5m in damages. He was working with hydraulic cutting equipment on a […]
Fatal fall from height on-board Seatruck Pace in Liverpool in December 2018
What happened? The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published accident Investigation Report 9/19 into a fatal fall from height. A crewman from the Cypriot registered ro-ro freight vessel […]
Near miss: absence of safety pin in the anchor swivel shackle
What happened? During planned modernisation of the stern anchor it was discovered that the safety pin in the anchor’s swivel shackle was absent. Positive action— Stop work authority – was […]
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