200635 Trapped hand

A serious personal accident on board a handysized bulk carrier, in which a seaman suffered a serious injury to his hand, required the vessel to be diverted to the nearest port to evacuate him.

At 22.30 while the vessel was at sea, it started pitching due to swell. The jib of the crane resting on the bridge front bulkhead started making a noise due to friction between the jib head and its support. The chief officer instructed seaman A to tighten the hoisting wire of the crane and adjust the resting position of the jib to press it firmly against the crutch.

Two seamen went on deck, one to operate the crane (B) and the other to attend to the resting jib (A). Seaman A realised that the reason for the noise was the missing rubber pad (should be hard wood) between the jib and its support. The signal led her to seaman B to raise the jib of the crane, and this was promptly carried out. Seaman A then started to put the rubber pad under the jib head, and signaled to B to raise the crane jib a little more.

Seaman B misunderstood the order and lowered the crane jib on seaman A's hand, which was between the jib head and the support, resulting in a severe crush injury. The vessel was diverted to the nearest port where seaman A was landed for surgery.

Immediate cause

1. An error in communication resulted in seaman B lowering the crane jib into the securing crutch while seaman A's hand was on the crutch.
2. Failure to observe basic seamanship practice – never stand directly under load.

Basic causes

1. Complacency. The crane jib should have been swung out sufficiently before working on the crutch.
2. Poor lighting on the deck, which may have resulted in seaman B misunderstanding the signal made by seaman A.
3. Lack of communication. Walkie-talkies not used.
4. The hazards involved in the job not discussed before commencing it.