- Six equipment failure cases included two small boat structural failures.
- Thirteen dropped object incidents involved items falling during lifting operations.
- Deeper incident analysis and enhanced safety measures are planned for the future.
The International Marine Contractors Association has published its overview of safety incidents and events for 2024, outlining key concerns and trends. This report comprises a total of 24 Safety Flashes reporting on 88 separate incidents or events experienced by IMCA members, but 33 extra incidents were taken from publicly available information, trade bodies, and regulators because of their relevance to the report. The Safety Flashes are informative to both the offshore crews and office-based safety professionals, reports IMCA.
Safety Incidents and Compliance with Life-Saving Rules
The IMCA Safety Flashes are compatible with the IOGP Life-saving Rules. In 2024, the Line of Fire rule was implicated in 31% of all reported incidents; 24% of incidents involved the By-passing Safety Controls rule. As a reminder, an incident might be classified against more than one IOGP Life-saving rule or none.
Line of Fire Incidents
There were 27 cases reported under the Line of Fire category and three of them resulted in Lost Time Injuries (LTIs). These incidents were mostly hand, arm, or finger injuries, with all LTIs from this list being fingers. This emphasizes still the need for concern about hand and finger safety and greater efforts to enhance and review related safety promotional materials.
By-Passing Safety Controls
This rule, By-passing Safety Controls, has seen 21 accidents, Among these are forced access to enclosed areas without authorization; handling of equipment tools; Watertight doors were opened; CDFs, proper carriage and acceptance by a Vessel are affected; Manipulations of installed and approved Safety appliance.
Safe Mechanical Lifting
Seven incidents were related to mechanical lifting operations, sometimes with a relationship to the “Line of Fire” rule and the breakdown of equipment. In two different cases, employees were caught on lines during the lifting operation—one case was tagged line and in another case when the crane whip line was caught on fall arrest equipment.
Working at Height
Six incidents violated the Working at Height rule. Of these, two involved unauthorized work at height within confined spaces, and one incident stopped a worker from doing hot work at height within a confined space. These instances remind everyone that there is a need to use STOP WORK AUTHORITY whenever unsafe working conditions are encountered.
Equipment Failure
In equipment failures, six incidents were reported to be due to these failures; among these, two had major structural failures of small boats. Although personnel were not on the boats when the incidents happened, such an event teaches an important lesson regarding maintaining and inspecting the equipment.
Dropped or Falling Objects
Dropped or fallen objects accounted for 13 incidents. One of the incidents reported involved the dropping of a yoke of Pipeline End Manifold, while another witnessed a lifting beam fall when a strop parted, among other similar equipment that fell or was dropped from operations. Such incidents underscore the fact that there is an existing risk of objects falling in the processes of lifting and handling operations.
Did you subscribe to our daily Newsletter?
It’s Free Click here to Subscribe!
Source: IMCA
