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A seaman on a dry cargo vessel was engaged in erecting the collapsible uprights for loading timber on deck. On each fixed upright, a wire stay was required to be attached at a height of about five metres for support. Having donned a safety belt and apparently working alone, the seaman decided to climb the rungs with the wire and the shackle slung on his back. It was early morning and the rungs on the fixed stanchions were moist with dew. Before he reached the required height, he slipped and fell about four metres to the deck, hitting his back against an obstruction in the process and suffering a serious spinal injury.
Root cause/contributory factors
- Lack of proper risk assessment, briefing;
- Incorrect work procedure followed by the seaman in climbing the upright with the wire and shackle slung on his shoulder. The correct procedure should have been to climb 'light' till he reached the required height and belay himself securely with the aid of the lifeline on his safety belt. The crew member on deck should then have thrown him a heaving line, with which he could have pulled up the wire rope and shackle;
- Slippery hand and foot holds on fixed upright.
Other lessons learnt
- A permit to work similar to that for 'working aloft' is advisable for this task.
- For any work more than two metres above the deck, it is advisable to deploy another crewmember to continuously supervise, monitor and assist the worker aloft.
- When climbing up rungs, both hands must be kept free, and loads, if any, must be small, light and contained in a small, close-fitting bag on the climber's back or torso.
- Surfaces and fittings used for climbing or walking on must be dry. If wet, additional care must be exercised, and if possible, the surfaces must be wiped dry or the task must be postponed until conditions improve.
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