MSS Case May: AB fell to his death

It was an early spring morning with clear skies and calm seas and the vessel was sailing in the open seas. The Chief Officer had assembled the deck crew in the deck office and instructed them about the planned job for the day which was to change the wire of one of the deck cranes. All members were designated a job and the risk assessment was discussed and signed by all crew members. 

Three Abs were stationed in the crane to direct the wire. They had safety harnesses when they climbed up the crane’s ladder. 

The crew started the job by releasing the safety pin of the old wire on the drum and then welding the old wire to the new wire and fitting a protective sleeve over the welded joint. This would facilitate the mounting of the new wire on the drum of the crane. The crew would monitor the wrapping of the new wire on the drum and the unwrapping of the old wire from the drum storage space.

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