202141 Drydock work - who's in charge of safety?

As edited from IMCA Safety Flash 07/21

A vessel was in drydock undergoing hull painting. The painting area was accessed using the shipyard crane and a personnel basket. During this process it was observed that the workers in the basket were not using safety harnesses. After further questioning it transpired that neither the basket nor the fall arrest equipment had valid test certificates.

The job was stopped and the shipyard was required to correct the situation. Relevant certified equipment was then provided.

Lessons learned

• Work in drydock is full of opportunities for unsafe acts – be on your guard and always ask questions.
• While in drydock, specific tasks may be subcontracted out by the shipyard. This can then give rise to ambiguous health and safety oversight. If workers are undertaking tasks on your ship, you should have the final word on safety.