- A third engineer on a container vessel suffered serious facial injuries while performing maintenance.
- The injury resulted from the failure of a hydraulic jack during a cylinder head overhaul.
- Recommendations were issued to improve crew awareness of safety measures when using hydraulic equipment.
What Happened
On 21 October 2023, while docked at Jebel Ali, the vessel shifted berths to facilitate maintenance on the main engine’s cylinder head no. 5. The overhaul began around noon following a crew toolbox meeting led by the chief engineer.
Approximately 30 minutes into the job, the team used a hydraulic jack to untighten the cylinder head studs. When hydraulic pressure reached around 450 bar, one of the jacks failed, ejecting hydraulic oil and metal fragments, which struck a third engineer in the face.
Why It Happened
The investigation concluded that the injury was caused by a failure in the hydraulic jack used for cylinder head maintenance. The upper sealing ring of the jack was displaced from its recess, possibly due to excessive clearance between components.
Risk assessments for the task did not address potential hazards related to the hydraulic jack’s maximum lift. Prior use of the jack had not indicated visible damage, though a damaged backup ring might have gone unnoticed.
Actions Taken
Following the accident, crew members provided first aid to the injured engineer. The ship’s master alerted the ship’s agent and requested an ambulance, which arrived promptly to transfer the injured crew member to a hospital for further treatment.
After receiving the necessary medical care, the third engineer was repatriated.
Recommendations for Prevention
To prevent similar incidents, safety recommendations included:
- Distributing the investigation report to all crew members on company-managed vessels.
- Conducting discussions on safety findings in onboard safety meetings.
- Emphasizing hazard awareness related to hydraulic jacks and maximum lift limits during risk assessments.
Did you subscribe to our daily Newsletter?
It’s Free Click here to Subscribe!
Source: MSIU
