Safety Alert: Uncontrolled movement of spreader bar

 

A vessel was set up alongside a barge in preparation for the subsea deployment of a 16″ (40cm) spool. The spreader bar sea-fastenings were removed by the deck crew and as the crane raised the rigging, the spreader bar rotated uncontrollably causing it to fall from its supports, with the forward end landing on deck and aft end landing on the spool.

 

The potential for rotation was unforeseen; a rigger who was nearby had to move quickly to get out of the line of fire. There were no injuries.

 

Full details here

ICHCA International is committed to helping industry to learn lessons fast, learn them once and make sure that they stay learnt.  This information is intended to provide all organisations in the cargo supply chain with the opportunity to consider the events and to review and adapt their own health and safety control measures to proactively prevent future incidents.

We are grateful to IMCA for providing details.  We acknowledge their commitment to sharing learning to benefit others.  If you have similar operations, please share this information with managers, operatives and any potentially affected third parties as appropriate.  Please also review any of your relevant operations for similar hazardous conditions, risks, and controls.  Learning content like this is highly valuable as it is based on real-world experience.  We encourage everyone with publishable information about incidents to send it to us, so that we can raise awareness across the whole industry.  Please contact us at secretariat@ichca.com; sharing your insight could save a life or prevent injury.