202410 : Tidy up or trip

A ship was in dry dock and deck crewmember on the night shift was undertaking a safety round.

As he reached the bottom of an exterior stairway and began walking, his foot caught a two-inch hose laid on deck. He tripped and fell, but initially thought he was uninjured. Later, his ankle became swollen and a sprained ankle was diagnosed.

Lessons learned

• Dry dock work is notorious for snake-like arrays of hoses and other tripping hazards on deck areas. Keep walkways safe by making them as clear as possible and using high visibility cable ramps (covers) in areas where there is foot traffic over hoses.
• Keep walkways and stair landings well lit during the hours of darkness.