Jet pump incidents

A member has reported the following incident, whereby a man, part of a team racking jet hose, sustained an injury to his left knee.

A power sheave had been utilised to assist personnel in retrieving the hose. One person was located on the deck, guiding the hose to another person, who was located on top of the jet pump. Due to the placement of the jet pump, personnel had to route the jet hose up and over the jet pump to place the hose on the racks, which were located outside of the jet pump.

Prior to competing this task, personnel located on the deck were directed to assist with tending of a diver.

This left the person located on top of the jet pump to complete the racking of the jet hose alone. Upon grabbing for another section of the hose, the person twisted their left knee.

The company involved has reported the following lessons learned:

1. Equipment should be placed in such a way to allow personnel adequate access to all areas of the unit, without the need to climb on or over equipment;
2. Adequate deck space should be provided for personnel to safely retrieve and store hoses;
3. The top of a jet pump is not considered a ‘work platform’ and should not be utilised as such;
4. The racking of a jet hose is a minimum of a two-man operation, even with the assistance of a power sheave;
5. A job safety analysis should be completed, identifying proper body mechanics to be utilised prior to performing this task.