This incident information refers to a fatal accident involving a lifting appliance. A provision crane loaded pallets onboard a vessel using a pallet fork. After landing the pallet on the vessel’s deck, the pallet fork was cleared and the crane operator moved the crane outward to pick up new load. During this operation, the crane wire broke and the pallet fork and the hook fell down and hit one of the crewmembers on the vessel. Despite the effort of the vessel’s own crew, dedicated first aid personnel and a doctor, the injured person died shortly after the accident.
Palletised Reefer Cargo Gear Failure – Investigation Report
At approximately 1140 hours New Zealand Daylight Time (NZDT) on 15 October 2004, vehicles were being discharged from a reefer vessel. Two gangs from the stevedoring company were operating on board at the time. At about 1140 hours, a 0.5 tonne lifting frame was lifting an approximate 1.0 vehicle from No. 3 hold. The stevedore operating the winch observed the starboard runner wire was starting to unravel. The winch driver immediately lowered the port runner allowing the vehicle to drop onto the starboard deck, as the wire on the yardarm of the union purchase parted.
Care of Wires & Ropes
Loss prevention bulletin has been released by UK P&I regarding care of wires & ropes on-board ships. The bulletin draws attention on the general condition of a wire which should be monitored whenever it is in use and specific inspections should concentrate on signs of deterioration and damage.