UK Marine Accident investigation Branch 2022 Annual Report headlines Confined Space Fatality
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch has published its annual report for 2022 with a wealth of valuable insight. The first and arguably most important of the safety issues highlighted for our industry is the death of three stevedores on board a bulk carrier.
The investigation is still underway, but this incident is “a stark reminder that the industry still has much work to do to mitigate the hazards posed by noxious atmospheres.” MAIB notes that “The human drive to assist someone in danger is powerful, which is why so often a second person succumbs to the noxious atmosphere before realisation dawns, access is controlled and a properly equipped rescue starts. On this occasion, three stevedores had entered the space before access control was restored. This is not the first time in recent years that stevedores have been caught out in this fashion. We will have more to say in the investigation report, but the safety lessons of ensuring that comprehensive safety briefs are conducted before working cargo, and that ship’s crews take full ownership of access control, bear repeating here.”