Safety Alerts
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 all those who provide these alerts and acknowledge their commitment to sharing learning to benefit others.
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.
Obstructed View Accident
Signal Mutual have been made aware of an incident involving a collision between a cargo towing vehicle and a stationary pickup truck. The learning points include maintaining fields of vision free of obstructions, avoiding distraction whilst driving and awareness of pedestrians and vehicles in the vicinity of operations. Please click here for the full Operational Alert We are grateful to the Signal Mutual 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 [...]
Abrasive Blasting
Signal Mutual have been made aware that over 130 serious incidents associated with abrasive blasting during the period January 2019 through to June 2021. Abrasive blasting is a potentially hazardous operation if not correctly controlled. Abrasive blasting can expose the blaster and other workers in the area to serious risks from contact with high pressure particles and dust, and in some cases, uncontrolled high-pressure hoses. Please click here for the full Operational Alert We are grateful to the Signal Mutual 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 [...]
Seatruck Consultative Procedure – RoRo Operations
Seatruck carried out extensive research into their operations following a fatal accident on the vehicle deck of a RoRo Ferry in July 2021. A member of the vessel crew suffered crushing injuries whilst marshalling tractor-unit drivers loading semi-trailers. Against Seatruck’s procedures, the crew member was positioned between a moving semi-trailer and vessel structure in the final bay of the loading operation. Development of this procedure has been supported by vessel-based trials and internal consultation with ship’s crew and stevedores which is ongoing, therefore the information contained is provisional but is deemed to be of value to members. A follow-up Safety Bulletin will be sent out if the consultation leads to a significant change to the procedures detailed. Please Click [...]
Falling Objects – Working Overhead
Hutchison Ports have recently received reports of a hammer head that detached from its handle when ship’s crew were attempting to loosen a 3 high lashing bar locked into a container above. The hammer head hit a stevedore, who was working 6 metres below, on the shoulder. Please Click Here for the full Operational Alert We are grateful to the Hutchison Ports 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 [...]
Lashing Bar Tongues separating from the lashing bar and onto the deck
Hutchison Ports have recently received reports of Lashing Bar Tongues separating from the lashing bar and falling onto the deck, narrowly missing the stevedores. The failures have occurred where the nut has unwound from the bolt, or the pin has failed due to wear and tear and lack of maintenance. Please click the link for the full Operational Alert We are grateful to the Hutchison Ports 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 [...]
Failure of a Road Tanker Pressure/Vacuum Relief Valve
Hazardous vapour release due to unauthorised modification of pressure/vacuum relief valve on bulk transport container. Please Click Here for the full Operational Alert We are grateful to The UK Health and Safety Executive 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 [...]
Contact with live cable
Contact with a live cable during recent excavation works had high potential to cause harm to persons. On this occasion harm was prevented by implementing appropriate mitigation measures (insulated hand tools) as determined by the risk assessment. Please Click Here for the full Operational Alert We are grateful to the Port of London for providing details and to PSS for drawing it to our attention. 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 [...]
Working at Height – Access to vehicle; protection from a fall
Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of workplace fatalities in the UK. In Great Britain in 2020/2021 there were 35 fatalities, and over 5,000 injuries that caused the injured person to be off work for over 7 days or more. A recent UK prosecution again highlighted the risks of working at height where a driver fell from the bed of their vehicle and was fatally injured. Many cargo operations involve drivers visiting sites to collect and deliver loads. Such loads should be made safe and secure before the driver leaves. Duty holders need to ensure that this activity can occur safely. In any work at height operation, the aim should always be to remove the [...]
Fumigated Cargoes, Liverpool Incident
The Port of Liverpool (UK) recently encountered a situation involving fumigated cargoes. The port was preparing to discharge bulk bagged sweet potato pellets when operatives noticed partially empty cannisters distributed within the holds. These were confirmed to be aluminium phosphide fumigation cannisters. The cargo had been recently treated in three holds. All operations were immediately brought to a halt and the situation made safe. Regulatory authorities are investigating and have taken enforcement action against the vessel’s Master. Lessons learned: Whilst there is a legal duty on the Master to inform the receiving port of a fumigated cargo, it cannot be relied upon. Ports and terminals must positively establish for themselves, that no fumigants have been employed. Please click [...]
Wheeled Loading Shovel Fatalities
There have been nine fatal vehicle-pedestrian collisions involving wheeled loading shovels in the UK over the past four years. Six in waste/recycling, the rest in wood chip. Some were due to poor forward visibility, others resulted from reversing. Larger capacity buckets had been fitted to some machines, further reducing forward visibility. The UK regulatory authority has issued a safety notice is to remind dutyholders who use these machines of the need to fully assess and actively manage the risk of vehicle-pedestrian collisions. We believe that this information is relevant to cargo operations internationally. Please click here for the full Operational Alert We are grateful to the Health and Safety Executive for providing details and to PSS and [...]
Classification & Declaration of Divinylbenzene for Transport in Tank Containers
Some interests have been seeking to transport Divinylbenzene (DVB) from China to destinations in both Europe and United States of America, while mis-declaring the commodity as Class 9, UN 3082 ENVIRONMENTALLY HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE, LIQUID, N.O.S. (Divinylbenzene). Divinylbenzene, though not specifically named in the Dangerous Goods regulations, is a liquid prone to Polymerisation. The IMDG Code includes a subdivision Class 4.1 for polymerizing substances with two UN numbers. Divinylbenzene (or related trade names, which may include Diethenylbenzene or Vinylstyrene) should be classified under one of these two numbers. Products with a polymerization risk generally use chemical inhibitors to prevent self-reaction taking place. Such chemical inhibitors are effective for a limited period of time at a maximum temperature of about 27°C, assuming [...]
Catastrophic failure of marine loading arm
Marine loading arms (MLAs) are commonly used throughout UK ports and jetties to load and unload liquids and compressed gas products from river barges, ships, and tankers. Evidence obtained during an HSE investigation of a failed MLA revealed concerns that not all components were being suitably inspected and maintained due to problems accessing the highest pivot joint. The lack of lubrication of this greased joint presents a serious risk of the joint failing with the potential for the complete collapse of the arm, leading to possible death, serious injury or damage to process equipment, and subsequent loss of containment. Anyone using or servicing MLAs should check, review and identify inspection and maintenance work required by the manufacturer and industry guidance. [...]
ICHCA Safety Alert: Flash Fire Inside Diesel Tank
Workers were assigned to remove and replace a 16’ x 9” section of deck plate adjacent to the bulkhead inside the diesel tank of a chemical tanker. Please click the link for the full Operational Alert: Flash Fire Inside Diesel Tank We are grateful to Signal Mutual for providing details of this incident and 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 [...]