What happened? An AB was taking part in a task to re-spool a wire onto an aft deck tugger winch, when he climbed onto the side of the tugger winch […]
Safety Flashes
IMCA safety flashes disseminate important information on incidents and potential hazards and the lessons learnt from them that can help prevent incidents occurring elsewhere in the industry.
Individual safety events are available individually online, tagged and searchable, while the traditional PDF collections are also available for download.
Submit a Report
All members are encouraged to contribute relevant safety-related information – please visit our Safety Flash Reporting page for details on the submission process.
IMCA Contact
Nicholas Hough
Technical Adviser - HSSE and Offshore Survey
Contact
Safety Events
Space heater caught fire
A space heater and some loose equipment caught fire. An area had been washed down as part of a housekeeping activity. As a precaution, electrical heaters were switched off and […]
Non-fatal man overboard incident
What happened? A member of the vessel crew fell into the sea during personnel transfer using a Crew Tender Vessel (CTV). The incident occurred when the vessel was stood by […]
Don’t put your finger in the wrong place: failure to isolate equipment causes serious finger injury
What happened? While carrying out work to fix the hydraulic arm of an ROV manipulator, the person involved was trying to adjust the position of the piston to align holes […]
High potential near miss – unsecured sheave
What happened? A hydraulic control lever on a console was inadvertently activated, resulting in the unplanned movement of part of the equipment on a drilling derrick on a vessel. A […]
Fatality and multiple injuries: flash fire incident onboard pipelay barge
What happened? During pipelaying activities on a pipelay barge, Injection Moulded Polypropylene (IMPP) equipment at a coating station got stuck. Pipelaying activities were stopped and repair operations were started. The […]
Near miss: fire of electrical distribution board during diving operations
What happened? A barge suffered a total loss of electrical power whilst air diving was in progress. The incident occurred during diving operations at 18 msw, conducted from a third-party […]
Rigger sustains injury to left hand
What happened? A rigger was struck by a lever hoist hook, which led to a restricted work case. The incident occurred during lifting operations and had the potential to have […]
Line of fire/pinch point – fractured fingers
What happened? A crewman suffered a pinch point injury resulting in two fractured fingers and a fingertip amputation. The incident occurred when a piece of equipment weighing 86kg was being […]
Vessel hit moored barge whilst turning
What happened? Whilst turning in a river port, a vessel collided with a moored barge. The vessel`s port quarter grazed the starboard bow of the barge at around 0.1 knots. […]
Transferee stepping from gangway to staircase during rotation
What happened? During extraction of working teams from offshore wind farm turbine towers in poor weather, a transferee found himself on a gangway as it disconnected. Weather and sea conditions […]
LTI: head injury
What happened? A provisions lift onboard a vessel became stuck. The chief engineer was called to attempt a repair. During assessment of the problem, the lift dropped whilst his head […]
Person felt unwell while working in confined space
What happened? A worker felt dizzy and weak while cleaning a mud tank. The tank watchman noticed this and initiated the emergency rescue procedures to recover the person from confined […]
Confined space fatality on-board the fishing vessel Sunbeam
What happened? The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published a report into a confined space fatality on-board the fishing vessel at Fraserburgh in the UK, in August 2018. […]
Confined space entry: person overcome by fumes and rendered unconscious
What happened? Three crew members on a vessel were tasked with opening a sewage tank inspection hatch to check the condition of a faulty sensor. The hatch was subsequently removed […]
Sharp wire: injury during routine maintenance
What happened? Whilst conducting routine engine maintenance a seafarer caught his arm on a sharp piece of wire, causing the need for medical treatment. The seafarer was using a spanner […]
Crisis Management: Rail Industry High Potential Near Miss
“Thirty centimetres of safety” The UK Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has published its report into the detrainment of passengers onto electrically live track near Peckham Rye station on 7 […]
Near miss: unplanned deployment of PLET outrigger
What happened? As a pipeline end termination (PLET) passed through the firing line, a rigger incorrectly cut a webbed ratchet strap (instead of a 6mm rope lanyard) which was restraining […]
Electric Arc Incident
What happened? During a vessel mobilisation a control cabin for an electric ROV was being installed and commissioned. The cabin’s internal main electrical power cable arced, tripping the vessel’s power […]
Dropped pipe incidents with potentially fatal consequences
What happened? During line pipe load out operations, three high potential near miss incidents occurred involving quayside crane lifting operations. All of the incidents had the potential for fatal consequences […]
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