What happened? The UK Health and Safety Executive has prosecuted a company after a worker suffered a fatal injury using high-pressure water jetting equipment for industrial cleaning purposes. An employee […]
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
Fires and fire risks on vessels
Fire in incinerator and exhaust fan motor What happened? An incinerator was being routinely operated by its designated operator. After the last garbage parcel was inserted into the chamber, the […]
Falls from step ladders
What happened? A member reports two incidents in which persons fell off step ladders and were injured as a result. Incident 1 While climbing back down a ladder from the […]
Pilots leaving the vessel in port in an unsafe manner
One of our members has released this bulletin relating to a recurring practice of pilots egressing from a ship’s gangway before it has rested safely on the jetty. Such practice […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
High potential near miss: Nitrogen hose failure during transfer of gas
What happened? As nitrogen gas was being transferred from the pipelay tower accumulators to storage bottles located within the pipelay HPU room, the pipelay supervisor noticed a sudden drop in […]
Emergency Lithium battery failed catastrophically in a diving bell
What happened? During regular planned maintenance, a 24V DC emergency Lithium battery pack in a diving bell activated and failed catastrophically causing an explosion and small fire. There were no […]
Near miss: Incorrectly set lifeboat hook
What happened? During a routine launch and recovery drill, the lifeboat crew became concerned that the forward hook was not engaging correctly despite the ‘padlock’ symbol indicating correct closure. With […]
Near miss/positive: Internal O-ring seal found damaged on fuel system
What happened? In a vessel alongside, a new fuel gas cylinder was connected to a gas-powered forklift truck. When the delivery valve was opened gas leaked from the connection between […]
Safe embarkation and disembarkation of Marine Pilots
What happened? During the embarkation of the Pilot to the vessel, the Pilot observed that a step on the Pilot ladder was not in good condition (broken). The Pilot implemented […]
Hull damage caused oil leakage from settling tank
What happened? On a member’s vessel, the starboard forward Marine Gas Oil (MGO) settling tank was punctured during berthing operations. The vessel was requested to move berth about 150 metres […]
Cargo Ignited on Truck Bed During Transportation
What happened? There was a fire in the cargo on the back of a truck whilst moving materials from the warehouse to the vessel. Whilst in transit, the driver observed […]
Member of the public killed following unplanned movement of an unsecured load
What happened? The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) fined a company after it caused the death of a child when he was trapped between an unsecured pole and a […]
MOB fatality from multi-cat
What happened? A member reports a man overboard fatality which occurred from a multi-cat engaged in shallow water construction in an inshore environment. The task involved recovery and re-arrangement of […]
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