Gangway Fall – Workboat MOB

Briefing on the Energy Institute Toolbox safety alert “Crew member overboard during mooring”. This workboat gangway man overboard happened while the crew were singling up for departure.

What Happened:

A workboat was getting ready for a routine departure. The bridge gave the order to start singling up the mooring lines. The crew member let go the first headline. A crew member then crossed the gangway to the quay to let go the stern line.

Wind pushed the vessel slightly off the quay. The gangway fell into the gap between the quay and the hull while the crew member was still on it. The crew member went into the water with the gangway.

The crew member was not injured and climbed out using a quayside ladder. The crew held a safety stop and a briefing. The crew member then chose to carry on working that day.

Immediate Operational Checks:

Officers taking the watch today should check the following:

• Gangway first: Read your departure procedure and confirm when the gangway comes in. Land and stow the gangway before anyone lets go a mooring line.
• Checklist means checked: Walk or inspect the deck before you sign the departure checklist. Only tick an item when you have seen it done with your own eyes.
• Shore access: Plan how each line is let go. Use linespeople ashore, or double up lines so the crew can slip them from on board without stepping onto the quay.
• Thruster power: Judge whether your thrusters can hold the vessel alongside in today’s wind. If they cannot, keep enough lines fast until everyone is back on board. Many workboats and CTVs have no real sideways thrust capability. Make sure your deck hands know this.
• Toolbox talk: Brief the mooring plan to every crew member before the job starts. Agree who watches the gap and that anyone can call stop.

The Merchant Navy Code of Conduct, and COSWP mention access to and from the vessel a serious safety concern. Improper access or egress to the vessel, against company safety policies may be cause for disciplinary action.

Never attempt to jump a gap to the vessel. Be aware of slipping, tripping, falling, and crushing hazards, as well as MOB hazards.

With minimum safe manning on UK workboats often permitting only a boat master and a single deck hand, mooring operations can be seriously dangerous. Does your risk assessment consider a MOB incident response, if only the master is left on board alone?

Lessons Learned:

• Procedure not followed, checklist still signed: Company procedure said to remove the gangway before mooring work started. That did not happen, yet the master signed off the departure checklist. A signed checklist gives everyone false confidence that the job is safe. Masters should check each item before signing. Any departure from procedure should be a deliberate, recorded decision, never a quiet shortcut.
• Drift not noticed: Once the headline came off, the vessel began to drift off the quay. Nobody saw that the gangway was losing its landing until it fell. A gangway can drop in seconds. The person who gives the order to start must keep watching the whole job, not just start it. Deck crew must watch the gap and both ends of the gangway. Never work alone on deck.
• Too much trust: The master used the bow thrusters to hold the vessel in, but they did not have enough power against the wind. Bow thrust only holds the forward end. If the accommodation is aft, and wind is blowing, the stern can open. While anyone is on the gangway or the quay, hold the vessel on her lines, not on thrust.
• No stop called: The deck crew did not spot the danger and stop the job. Stop work only works if everyone feels free to use it and uses it early. Practise it in drills, and thank crew who use it.
• Crossing before it was safe: The G+ Lifesaving Rule is to transfer from a vessel only when you are ready and permission is given. Crossing a gangway while lines are coming off breaks that rule. Get clear permission from the bridge, and only cross when the vessel is secure alongside.

See also our briefing on MOB – Wilaya MAIB Report.

Tags: Man Overboard, Workboat, Mooring, Gangway

Official Report

Read the full safety report here: Crew member overboard during mooring