Mini transponder falling from crane wire to deck

A member has reported an incident in which a mini transponder attached to the crane wire came loose and fell 20m to the deck.

A 35m long pennant wire with a guide anchor in the end was being used to open/close hatches on templates. After closing hatches the wire was recovered to deck. A mini transponder was attached to the crane wire just above the crane hook, with two hose clamps. Due to the length of the forerunner the crane had to lift it as high as possible and the wire remaining outside the side of the ship had to be manhandled over the rail. Due to a failing end stop mechanism the crane was hoisted too far and the mini transponder was torn off the crane wire and fell to the deck, narrowly missing two members of the crew who were under the crane ready to manhandle the wire end in on to the deck. There were no injuries.

The following points were noted:

• Deck personnel should not have been under the load or in the lifting area;
• Deck personnel should be reminded to always wait for a signal from the crane driver before moving into a lifting area;
• The practice of attaching the transponder to the crane wire should be identified as a risk and discussed appropriately at toolbox meetings beforehand;
• The faulty end stop mechanism on the crane was repaired – as this mechanism was the only barrier preventing the wire from being hoisted too far, the electrical switches on the end stop mechanism were replaced with switches of a better quality;
• A formal procedure was implemented for safely attaching the transponder to the crane wire;
• A purpose-designed transponder bracket was designed and fabricated for fastening these to the crane wire, such that the transponder itself cannot hit the end stop block.