201556 Hot oil splatter danger

 

 

The vessel was at sea in good weather with no rolling. The galley crew members were going about their regular duties, preparing for lunch. The second cook lifted a pan containing approximately four litres of hot oil from the stove and walked towards a nearby rack to store it out of the way. As he tried to place the pan on the rack his right hand lost its grip on the pan handle; in a failed attempt to regain grip, the pan, now being held only by the left hand, tilted heavily to the right and the oil spilled out of the pan. Some of the spilled oil made contact with a significant area on his right arm, causing second degree burns. 

The company investigation found, among others, the following:
- The small, all metal handle of the pan did not provide a good grip and had no thermal insulation areas.
- The selected location for placing the oil was inconvenient as it involved bending down and reaching into the rack to place the pan.
- The oil was not allowed to sufficiently cool down before being picked up to move.
- Wearing a full sleeved cook’s shirt could have greatly reduced the consequence of the burn.

The company’s safety action subsequent to their investigation included among other things;
- Intensify behaviour-based safety observations in the galley
- Revise the company SMS to prohibit shifting of hot oil in pans until sufficiently cooled.