Monday 12 May 08 - 09:26
 

Insurance, Legal & Finance

Warning on Heavy Weather Personal Injuries

The London P&I Club has reported that recent personal injury cases which it has handled have included accidents in which the ship’s motion in heavy weather has been a causative factor.
Ships' motion in heavy weather have been a causative factor for personal injury cases, says the London Club.
Ships' motion in heavy weather have been a causative factor for personal injury cases, says the London Club.

In the latest issue of its StopLoss Bulletin, the Club outlines the different types of incidents reported to them which have included injuries to crew members falling while working aloft, a hand injury when a heavy auxiliary engine part unexpectedly shifted while being removed for maintenance, and a chest injury suffered when a power tool slipped as a ship rolled.

The Club notes that where a risk assessment had been carried out in respect of the accidents involving deck crew, the responsible officer had been fully aware of the prevailing conditions but had not made sufficient allowance for the ship’s motion.

The Bulletin notes that in the cases where the task was being performed in the engine room, the entry on the risk assessment form for ‘Weather and Sea Hazard’ was in each case 'not applicable'.

The Club says, 'While it is the case that dealing with rolling, for example, is less of an issue for someone on the bottom plates in the engine room than it is for a crew member on the monkey island, these recent cases are reminders that, when a ship rolls, the engine room moves too.'

The London P&I Club is one of the thirteen principal underwriting member clubs of the International Group of P&I Clubs ('The Group') who between them provide liability cover (protection and indemnity) for approximately 90% of the world’s ocean going tonnage.

Images for this article - click to enlarge

Ships' motion in heavy weather have been a causative factor for personal injury cases, says the London Club.

All images copyright © Mercator Media 2008

Taylor Fuel Control