Transport Malta reports of a fatal fall of a crew member down the accommodation stairway, in the port of Constanța.
The Incident
On the evening of 31 March 2022, while berthed at Constanța, Romania, Seminole was required to shift 10 m astern.
The chief officer was requested to proceed to the main deck to determine the best position for the placement of the gangway ashore. When the vessel was in position, the chief officer headed towards the aft mooring station to oversee the final securing of the mooring lines.
It was reported that on his way, the chief officer fell down a flight of stairs and was found unconscious. The injured chief officer was transferred by an ambulance to a local hospital, where he passed away two days later.
Probable cause
This safety investigation could not confirm whether an autopsy had been carried out following the death of the chief officer. In this regard, the MSIU was unable to confirm the cause of the chief officer’s death and therefore, could not rule out that the fall and/or the death may have been due to natural causes.
Conclusions
- The chief officer sustained fatal injuries after falling down one of the accommodation stairways;
- The injuries’ concentration on the right side of his body and head, and the position in which he was found, suggested that the chief officer fell on his right side;
- The chief officer may have missed a step or slipped while on the stairs;
- It is possible that the chief officer may have been holding on to one of the handrails when he fell, which may have affected the side on which he landed;
- The crew member’s hands were free from objects and the stairs were not obstructed;
- There was no contrasting nosing on the step edges;
- When compared to the chief officer’s shoe size, the tread of the stairs was approximately 7.0 cm shorter;
- The stairs were free from any defects or damages which might have contributed to the fall;
- The stairs were adequately lit by artificial lighting at all stages;
- The location of the control box posed an additional hazard to people making use of the stairway;
- The distance between the bottommost step and the open fire door was considered a hazard, should a person fall down the stairway.
Safety actions taken
During the safety investigation process, the Company has advised that shock absorbing neoprene protection will be fitted to the existing control boxes inside the stairwell. It has also been decided that the fire extinguishers will be relocated to adjacent areas not obstructing the stairwell.
Moreover, the Company will be taking the necessary actions to paint the stairs’ nosing yellow.
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Source: Transport Malta
