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 […]
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
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Safety Events
Near miss: potential dropped object left on top of cargo
What happened? During deck cargo loading operations from a vessel to an offshore platform, two pieces of unsecured timber were inadvertently lifted from the vessel onto the platform, on top […]
Fixed CO2 fire extinguishing systems – US Coast Guard alert
What happened The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has published Safety Alert 13-17 relating to Fixed CO2 fire extinguishing systems. This alert follows discovery of critical deficiencies in the fixed […]
Near miss: potential fire in the laundry room
What happened? A vessel was on standby when a fire alarm was activated from the laundry room. The steward was nearby and took immediate action by switching off the relevant […]
Inadequate handling and storage of potentially hazardous substances
What happened? Two drums with unknown chemicals were observed, floating in the sea. The crew retrieved these drums onto the vessel, but they were not stored safely. What went wrong? […]
Fast rescue craft damaged by inappropriate use
What happened? A vessel was engaged in a joint offshore oil spill response exercise involving third parties. During the exercise, the client instructed the Master to use the Fast Rescue […]
Gangway damaged when lifting line parted
What happened? A lifting line failed whilst vessel crew were lifting the gangway to stow it in position on departure from an anchorage. The gangway was hoisted to a position […]
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 […]
High potential near miss: AB slipped over the side during mooring operations
What happened During mooring operations, an Able Seaman (AB) jumped from the vessel to the quayside to receive the mooring ropes. In doing so he slipped over the bulwark and […]
Lifeboat damaged during deployment drill
What happened A lifeboat was damaged because of equipment failure during a routine deployment drill. During a routine boat drill in port, the starboard lifeboat was lowered to water level. […]
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 […]
Safety flash rating system
IMCA is gaining feedback from readers on what is and isn’t considered important, using a simple star-based feedback system – see below. Please feel free to use this functionality.
Full search capability
The full text of all IMCA safety flashes can be searched – not just the titles. Enter your text in the box at https://legacy.imca-int.com/alerts/safety-flash/.
A summary of safety flash incidents not otherwise published in 2017
IMCA is grateful for all submissions of safety incidents for inclusion in Safety Flashes. During 2017, a number of incidents received by IMCA from members were not been published as […]
The 2017 safety flashes
A full list of the safety flash incidents of 2017 – including those from other organisations which IMCA has passed on to members is available at https://legacy.imca-int.com/alerts/downloads/safety-flash/17/.
Safety flashes – summary of 2017
This is a summary of the safety flash incidents reported during 2017, highlighting some trends worthy of note and one or two matters of interest. 148 incidents in 32 safety […]
Near miss: Worker temporarily trapped in confined space
What happened? On a vessel in a shipyard, a member of the painting team accessed a tank to perform an inspection. Around three hours later, a worker was assigned to […]
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 […]
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