The Poavosa Brave. File photo (c) Senba-FleetMon
Bulk carrier Poavosa Brave, Serious injury, Off Tauranga, 23 June 2023
Status
Closed
Occurrence Date
Report Publication Date
Jurisdiction
NZ
What happened
On 23 June 2023 a crew member was seriously injured on board the bulk carrier Poavosa Brave.
The vessel was at anchor outside Tauranga Harbour and the crew was preparing the cargo securing gear for a full cargo consignment of logs. They were using one of the on board cranes to erect a set of the collapsible stanchions on the main deck.
As the deck crew completed this task, an able-bodied seafarer was struck by the crane block and suffered very serious injuries.
Why it happened
The weather and sea conditions were not suitable for using the crane to hoist up the stanchions. The master ordered that the crane was not to be used and assigned the crew alternative work for the day.
The wind and sea conditions eased during the morning. The bosun decided to hoist a set of stanchions as a training exercise for the crew. The bosun did not inform the master or the chief officer that the crew was going to do this job.
When the chief officer heard the crane operating, they went out on deck to tell the crew to stop the work. Upon arriving at the work area, the chief officer did not communicate with the bosun and gave the crew an order that conflicted with the crew’s work plan.
Subsequently, the chief officer ordered the crew to approach the crane block when it was not stable or safe to approach.
What we can learn
Safety is compromised when lines of authority and responsibility are not followed.
The benefits of risk assessment and job safety analysis are lost when unplanned or unauthorised work is undertaken.
When stopping work that is perceived to be unsafe, people should take a moment to determine how the work can be stopped safely, without introducing new hazards.
Who may benefit
Maritime operators, seafarers, regulators and training institutions may all benefit from the findings in this report.
On 23 June 2023 a crew member was seriously injured on board the bulk carrier Poavosa Brave.
The vessel was at anchor outside Tauranga Harbour and the crew was preparing the cargo securing gear for a full cargo consignment of logs. They were using one of the on board cranes to erect a set of the collapsible stanchions on the main deck.
As the deck crew completed this task, an able-bodied seafarer was struck by the crane block and suffered very serious injuries.
Why it happened
The weather and sea conditions were not suitable for using the crane to hoist up the stanchions. The master ordered that the crane was not to be used and assigned the crew alternative work for the day.
The wind and sea conditions eased during the morning. The bosun decided to hoist a set of stanchions as a training exercise for the crew. The bosun did not inform the master or the chief officer that the crew was going to do this job.
When the chief officer heard the crane operating, they went out on deck to tell the crew to stop the work. Upon arriving at the work area, the chief officer did not communicate with the bosun and gave the crew an order that conflicted with the crew’s work plan.
Subsequently, the chief officer ordered the crew to approach the crane block when it was not stable or safe to approach.
What we can learn
Safety is compromised when lines of authority and responsibility are not followed.
The benefits of risk assessment and job safety analysis are lost when unplanned or unauthorised work is undertaken.
When stopping work that is perceived to be unsafe, people should take a moment to determine how the work can be stopped safely, without introducing new hazards.
Who may benefit
Maritime operators, seafarers, regulators and training institutions may all benefit from the findings in this report.