(www.MaritimeCyprus.com) On 25 March 2023, the Cayman Islands registered bulk carrier Equinox Seas arrived at the ONEX Syros Shipyards S.A. facility on the island of Syros, approximately 50 nautical miles south-east of Athens, Greece for a period of scheduled maintenance.
On 17 April 2023, a fitter on board Equinox Seas entered the fan room on the starboard
side of the ship’s funnel, where an engine room fan had been removed. The fitter fell
10m down the open ventilation trunk to the engine room below. The fitter was recovered
from the base of the ventilation trunk and moved to a local hospital, where he died from
his injuries.
The investigation concluded in the following findings:
- The fitter passed a tape barrier placed across the entrance to the fan room access by the shipyard, possibly due to a reduction in alertness due to the time of day the accident occurred.
- The response to the accident by all the organisations involved was both timely and effective.
- The management of safety on board Equinox Seas in a ship repair setting, and the
coordination of activities, was poor. - Guidance on the management of safety on board ships in a ship repair facility was
either unavailable or not widely promulgated, and the responsibility for safety was
poorly understood.
Following the accident, the ship’s management company, Equinox Maritime Ltd, amended its safety management system to address risks arising in a shipyard environment. The
Maritime and Coastguard Agency initiated a work item to consider amendments to the
Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seafarers to highlight the raised level of risk
awareness required while a ship is undergoing repair.
A recommendation has been made to ONEX Syros Shipyards S.A. to update its safety
management system to ensure that risks created by the work carried out by its workers are
effectively managed and coordinated with a ship’s crew and that the responsibility for safety is clearly understood between all parties.
For more details, click below to download the full UK MAIB investigation report:
Source: MAIB
For more maritime investigation reports, click HERE.
