The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), through Safety Digest 1/2025, shared insights from recent marine incidents. The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has highlighted a case involving crew injury during mooring operations for member awareness.
What Happened
A crew member sustained serious finger injuries during a mooring operation involving a tender and a barge on a busy river. The tender, with two workers onboard, approached the barge, which already had two vessels moored alongside. To secure the tender, a crew member connected a mooring rope between a cleat on the tender’s port shoulder and a cleat on one of the moored vessels. Due to the tender’s significantly lower freeboard, the rope was angled steeply. River current caused the tender to move, and the mooring rope slipped off the cleat. As the crew member attempted to resecure it, the wash from a passing vessel caused the tender to heave. The crew member’s fingers were caught in the bight of the rope as it was placed back on the cleat, resulting in severe crush injuries.
Why It Happened
The incident was primarily caused by relative movement between vessels during mooring. Key contributing factors included a steep rope angle caused by the difference in freeboard between the vessels, dynamic forces resulting from the river current and wash from passing traffic, and the crew member’s hand positioning while attempting to reattach the mooring rope. These conditions created a sudden tension in the rope, leading to the entrapment and injury.
Actions Taken
The skipper responded promptly to the incident by transporting the injured crew member ashore for emergency medical treatment.
Lessons Learned
- Relative vessel movement can introduce entrapment hazards during mooring. The crew must remain vigilant at all times.
- Keep hands and fingers well clear of cleats and rope bights, especially when vessels are affected by current or wave wash.
- Where routine operations involve uneven freeboard or angled mooring lines, assess and adapt cleat design or mooring methods to minimize rope slippage.
- Conduct specific risk assessments for mooring operations involving vessel-to-vessel connections in dynamic environments.
Did you subscribe to our Daily newsletter?
It’s Free! Click here to Subscribe!
Source: IMCA
