200632 Fatal crush injury from mooring line

As the vessel's bow moved away from the jetty, an AB who was standing inside the bight of the spring line suffered a fatal crush injury. The line apparently got caught on an underwater obstruction on the jetty and suddenly became taut around his ankles, moving up his body to his waist; he was dragged around the bollard on which the rope was earlier tied, towards the fairlead.

Immediate causes

A momentary lapse in concentration on the part of the AB resulted in his standing inside the bight of the spring rope on the forecastle deck of the vessel after it had been cast off from the mooring bollard on board. He was aware that the end of the rope had been cast off from the mooring bitt on the pier and cast into the water. He was waiting for assistance from his colleagues to heave the rope using the ship's winches on board. He did not expect the rope to get caught on an unknown underwater obstruction on the jetty as the vessel moved away from the pier. He had let his guard down and did not expect the rope to get taut suddenly.

Lack of basic seamanship by the man, which should have alerted him to stay clear of mooring ropes and away from the direction that they are likely to move if they come under sudden strain. Complacency could have led to the accident. The ship called at this port regularly and the crew had carried out the same operation on many occasions. However the existence of an underwater obstruction on the jetty, which caused the end of the mooring rope to be caught and get taut suddenly, as the bow moved away from the jetty, was unknown.

It is important to note that the following did not contribute towards the accident: alcohol; poor lighting; difficulty in language or communication; fatigue.

Basic causes

Failure to comply with basic mooring safety procedures and instructions contained in the company safety manual, bridge procedures manual and the UK MCA Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seamen.

• Failure on the part of the bridge team to comply with the basic safety practice of not turning the propeller or the bow thruster until all mooring ropes have been sighted and reported to be clear of the water and all obstructions.
• Failure on the part of the forward stations to watch the mooring rope after it was cast off till it came above the water.
• No formal risk assessment was made for the operation of mooring in general. Guidelines for such risk assessment are available in chapter 1 of the Code of Safe Working Practices.
• Lack of good housekeeping on the forecastle deck ? ropes, which were cast off from the jetty, were not immediately heaved up on board and squared up on the forecastle deck.
• The height of the bulwark on the forecastle deck being about 1.5 m makes it impossible for seamen attending to ropes on the winches or bollards on the deck to see the mooring rope outside the ship's side.

Editor's note: Reports 200632 and 200633 have been submitted from two shipowners who wish for others to benefit from the safety lessons learned through these unfortunate accidents. Quality management systems require that all accidents and near misses be reported, investigated and have recommendations carried out to prevent such incidents happening again. The following reports are excellent examples of this process and all ship operators are encouraged to contribute such reports and analysis from their fleets to MARS to improve safety across the entire industry, to prevent further loss of life and limb.