200633 Arm lost in windlass
| A very serious accident on board a 45,000 dwt vessel occurred where a seaman lost his arm while heaving anchor. He was engaged in greasing the teeth of the bull gear and pinion, using a nine inch long brush, through a small inspection cover, while the windlass operation lever was secured in the 'on' (heave) position. A momentary loss in concentration caused his hand to get caught in the mesh and drawn in up to the elbow ? the hand was totally crushed and severed.
The only other person on the forecastle was the chief officer. The seaman was immediately evacuated from the vessel by boat and sent to hospital. The vessel was subsequently boarded by port state control for investigation. During the course of the investigation, it was determined that lubrication of the gears could only be done while the windlass was in motion. A safety guard is in place on the inspection hole, which prevents accidental access to the gears. Immediate causes
Basic causes Instructions contained in the company shipboard management manual regarding the composition of anchor stations (three persons to attend) not complied with. The anchor station was attended by the chief officer and the seaman. There was a failure to comply with instructions contained in the company safety manual on board as well various circulars and notices on personal safety. Corrective actions The shipboard management manual on board the vessel will be amended to include specific safety instructions governing carrying out lubrication of windlasses and mooring winches. This safety bulletin has been sent to all vessels under management and masters instructed to discuss the accident, causes and corrective actions during the safety meetings on board. It has also been sent to all company offices and recruiting centres to be included during pre-joining briefing of all officers and crew members. It was recommended that the report be submitted to The Nautical Institute's MARS scheme for industry-wide and international distribution. The procedures for lubricating windlass and mooring winches in the planned maintenance system of all vessels has been amended to include the following: Safety Precautions A. During lubrication of the windlass, mooring winches or mooring wires, it should be ensured that a person is at the controls while it is in operation and within sight of the person engaged in greasing / lubrication. The windlass or winch should never be left to run with a control secured in the 'on' (heave ) position. B. Never attempt to grease or lubricate gears by hand while the machinery is rotating. Use a long handled brush of at least 1000 mm length. C. The operation of lubricating gears while the machinery is rotating should be carried out in a safe and controlled manner, at a slow speed, while the anchor chain or the rope is being lowered so that it would have an effect of throwing out, instead of pulling in a foreign body. Company training superintendents will include this report in the discussion on risk assessment before performing maintenance tasks in their safety and loss prevention training on board all vessels. |