Kvartalsvis Orientering 4/2008 - Søfartsstyrelsen

Kvartalsvis Orientering 4/2008
Quaterly Information 4/2008
Occupational accident on the tugboat SKULD on 24
September 2008
Summary
After finishing a shift of older wires with new ones SKULD should move approximately
10m further forward on the quay. The master eased off on the astern mooring rope,
and the chief officer and the AB operated the forward rope. The AB operated the winch
and the chief officer stood behind the warping end taking in the rope. Suddenly the
rope broke and the end hit the chief officer on right arm. The arm broke in two places.
The winch has a capacity of pull of 30 tons and the minimum break strength of the
mooring rope is 18 tons.
Conclusions
The mooring rope broke, because the pull on the rope exceeded the break strength of
the rope.
The big pull was due to the fact, that the winch was operated although the fender of the
ship was already in contact with the quay.
Recommendations
The Investigation Division recommends to SKULD’s Safety Board that it considers the
following, when it works out a procedure on the use of the winch.
• Whether the mooring arrangement can be improved in the way that it is
avoided that crew members work in a risk zone.
• Whether the risk zone can be reduced by screening.
• Whether mooring can be organized in the way that crew members excite the
risk zone before it becomes dangerous.
• Whether the winch can be operated so that crew members need not to hold
and steer the mooring rope when operated.
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