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31 January 2008 - Seaman dies after a fall from a ship's cargo hold ladder
Media Release
2008/02
Seaman dies after a fall from a ship's cargo hold ladder
31 January 2008
The ATSB has found that a seaman may have been fatigued when he
fell from a bulk carriers cargo hold ladder at the end the working
day on 8 August 2007.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation also found
that he may have been distracted by the equipment he was carrying
and as a result of a mixture of perspiration and hydrochloric acid
that would have caused irritation to his skin and eyes.
On 8 August 2007, Oceanic Angel was about three degrees south of
the equator and en-route to Dampier, Australia.
After lunch, the crew were preparing the cargo holds for an
upcoming salt cargo and, at about 1515, two seamen started work in
number three hold. They began by spraying the dirty areas of the
hold with hydrochloric acid, starting at the aft end and moving
forward along the port side.
At about 1630, they stopped work for the day. One of the seamen
made his way to the cargo holds aft ladder and started climbing out
of the hold. The other seaman went to the forward ladder to do
likewise. When the seaman on the aft ladder was almost at the
ladders top platform, about 11.7 m above the tank top, he heard a
loud 'thump'. He turned around and saw his colleague lying on the
tank top.
The crew mounted an emergency response but the seaman had died
as a result of the fall.
At 2300 on 17 August, Oceanic Angel berthed in Dampier. The
local police attended the ship and the deceased seaman was taken
ashore.
The ATSB investigation found that the ship's safety management
system was not effective in ensuring that the crew carried out a
risk analysis for the task of cleaning the cargo holds with
hydrochloric acid. It also found that the crew were not aware of
the safety information provided by material safety data sheets.
The ATSB has issued two safety advisory notices with the aim of
preventing similar occurrences from occurring in the future.
Copies of the report can be downloaded from the ATSB
website
Media Contact: 1800 020 616