It was morning, and the weather was good with a northerly wind, force 3-4 Beaufort.

A vessel was proceeding in calm seas at 14 knots. During the ten o’clock coffee break, the Chief Engineer informed the First Engineer that the ballast pump, which had been out of commission for some time, needed to be repaired before they arrived at the next port on the following evening. The First Engineer said he would inspect the pump after the break, with assistance from the Third Engineer and an oiler.

The previous day, the pump had been moved to the engine workshop and an oiler had removed the nuts on the pump case. The engineers were wearing safety shoes, gloves, boiler suits and helmets when they started to dismantle the pump. No work permit or risk assessment had been completed or checked before the job commenced. The engineers decided that this was a routine job that required neither a work permit nor risk assessment.

Read more about this case in the latest Monthly Safety Scenario.

MSS Case January: Serious injury during inspection

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For more Loss Prevention information, please contact:

Joakim Enström, Loss Prevention Officer

E-mail: joakim.enstrom@swedishclub.com

Each month the Club’s Loss Prevention team issues a new safety scenario to assist members in their efforts to comply with international safety regulations and follow best practices.

When discussing the case, please consider that the actions taken at the time made sense for all involved. Do not only judge, but also ask why you think these actions were taken, and could it happen to your vessel?