(www.MaritimeCyprus.com) Transport Malta issued the report of its investigation of the severe injury to a crew member on the heavy lift vessel Pioneering Spirit off Norway on 27 January 2020. A welder helper was tasked to assist in the mounting of two stiffeners as reinforcement to the newly installed jacket lifting system on board, inside a Water Ballast Tank (WBT).
Upon entering the WBT, the welder helper and the welder walked different routes to reach the work site. Rather than crossing directly from the access ladder and onto the cable trunk, where the welding job was due, he followed the access ladder down to the tween deck level, crossed a guardrail, and walked alongside the cable trunk where unexpectedly, he fell through a large opening in the deck.
The welder, who was already on top of the cable trunk preparing for the job, did not see the accident and he was not in contact with the injured welder helper at the time of the occurrence.
After the fall, the injured welder helper was located, and evacuated from the space. A
rescue helicopter took the injured crew member to the local hospital. The injured crew member was unable to assist the Marine safety Investigation Unit to establish the reason for selecting that particular route. However, a number of contributing factors to the accident have been identified by the safety investigation.
For more details, click below to download the full report:
Source: Transport Malta
For more Marine Accident Investigation Reports, click HERE
