According to the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC), a 50-year-old crew member of a log ship was killed when a steel cable snapped under too much tension and securing equipment recoiled at Eastland Port last year, reports the Gisborne Herald.
Overload leads to snapping of wire
The accident happened on the night of April 3 when the crew of the Panamanian-registered bulk carrier Coresky OL were using a crane to tension a wire rope to secure a load of logs to the ship’s deck, TAIC chief investigator of accidents Aaron Holman said.
“The wire rope was zigzagged like a single bootlace over the cargo, through a series of pulleys held in place by foot wires that ran up the sides of the cargo.”
Two able seamen were standing close to the wire rope to monitor the tension applied by the crane. As the heaving stopped, a foot wire parted, securing equipment recoiled, and part of the equipment struck and fatally injured one of the able seamen.
The report stated the wire was 24mm in diameter and made from hot galvanised steel, with six strands of 24 wires containing fibre cores.
The load being applied by the crane, combined with the configuration of the pulleys used to tension the securing wires, snapped the wire.
Analysis of the wire found it likely snapped as a result of overload.
No guidance on safe system for cargo securing
The investigation found the vessel’s crew had not enough information on the hazards associated with wires under tension because the cargo securing manual provided no guidance on a safe system of work for cargo securing operations.
“The manual was silent on this because the operator’s safety management system didn’t include a safety assessment for cargo securing operations,” Mr Holman said.
“A ship’s crew should know about these sorts of details and the potential dangers, and their employers — the ship operators — should have safety management systems that include appropriate procedures and guidance and a safe system of work.”
The commission recommended that the Coresky OL’s operator, Shih Wei Navigation Co Ltd (Taiwan), carry out a comprehensive safety assessment for vessels that carry deck log cargo.
Eastland Port’s chief operating officer, Andrew Gaddum, commented, “We were extremely saddened by the event, and continue to offer our condolences to the crewman’s family and shipmates.”
“Eastland Port supports the findings of TAIC’s investigation, and sincerely hopes that the recommendations are implemented by the vessel.”
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Source: The Gisborne Herald
