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Crew injury caused by the free fall lifeboat being unintentionally lowered during a routine inspection. 1) Outline Due to losing oil of the lifeboat release system hydraulics, engineer topped-up the pump in the life boat with oil. After that, with the knowledge of operational procedures in mind, he intended to pressurize the system a little to identify any obvious oil leaks. However, the hook was unexpectedly released, and the boat moved down the launching rails. All the worse, the wires to hold the lifeboat parted. Finally crew was injured because he could not fasten the seatbelt properly due to unintentionally falling.
2) Cause of the incident The release mechanism was not fully and correctly reset after it was last exercised. In such circumstances, the release hook could be activated with a little pressure. The wires to hold the lifeboat parted (The reason is still under investigation.) 3) Lessons Learnt Remember there is a possibility for an accident to occur due to improper securing, even though knowledge about operational procedures and mechanisms is possessed. Additional lashing should be taken, especially when the hand pumps for the release system are maintained or operated. Crew should ensure that the release system is secured properly prior to entering the boat. |
