Online forum faults lifeboat hook safety
Lifeboat hooks can be lethal if their design is out of date and unsuitable to meet modern demands, according to serving seafarers whose views have been gathered by InterManager.
Following a series of incidents and fatalities involving lifeboat hooks, InterManager, the international trade association for the ship management industry, has gathered comments from seafarers of various ranks in an online discussion forum.
Crew members responded by pointing out that they believed the hook designs have not kept pace with developments in the global shipping industry.
Joining the debate, a Captain questioned training regimes, saying: “Because almost every vessel has lifeboats of a different design, it is very often a steep learning curve for all involved.” Another likened his onboard training to “Russian roulette”.
InterManager Secretary General, Captain Kuba Szymanski, said: “There is a great depth of feeling in the industry on the subject of lifeboats and their safe operation. They are meant to save lives not to endanger them further.”
