The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has issued a fresh safety warning following a serious onboard incident in which a crew member was crushed during anchor handling operations.
The member of crew was saved and is believed to have fully recovered, but the incident highlights the ongoing risks posed by stored energy and incomplete preparation during lifting tasks, IMCA says.
According to incident details, the accident occurred as deck crew worked to connect two 5-ton sub-surface buoys as part of a multi-stage hook-up sequence.
After securing an 800-metre fibre rope in a shark jaw, the team began positioning the buoys using deck cranes. One buoy had already been placed, while the second was being dragged into position, with both units still partially linked via their stock eyes.
That was when an oversight became a serious risk: a lashing securing the buoys to the cargo rail had not been removed, and as the second buoy was pulled, the remaining restraint created tension in the system, slightly lifting the buoy and storing potential energy.
The issue was identified and operations paused, but the hazard was not fully neutralised and when the crew member entered the confined gap between the buoy and the cargo rail to release the ratchet strap, the stored energy was suddenly released.
The buoy snapped back into position, trapping the individual against the rail.
Crewmates initially attempted to reposition the buoy using the crane before successfully freeing the injured worker with a tugger line. The casualty was stabilised onboard before being evacuated by helicopter.
IMCA has repeatedly warned in safety bulletins that uncontrolled stored energy, particularly in lifting and rigging operations, remains a leading cause of serious offshore injuries.
The association stresses the importance of fully removing restraints, maintaining exclusion zones and reassessing hazards whenever operations are halted and restarted.
IMCA has provided the following guidance:
- Take particular attention when moving complex loads, such as interconnected buoy, in this case. Could there be stored energy which might lead to unexpected movement?
- Are we moving items that are still partly secured or tied down? Check!
- Don’t put yourself “in the line of fire” – in this instance the crew member went between the large buoy and the cargo rail.
