Don’t get wet feet – Embarkation and Disembarkation risks

A major charterer and ship manager has reviewed incidents involving injuries while embarking/disembarking ships. Three are shared here; most of us will have seen near misses like this in the past.

  • Disembarking from a vessel to a boat alongside, using the ship’s accommodation The person reportedly lost his balance while stepping on to the boat, and fell into the water.
  • Descending the vertical jetty ladder to board a barge, a cargo surveyor lost his grip, hit the deck of the barge and fell into the He suffered a broken knee, and injuries to his leg and head. The surveyor was carrying sampling bottles in his jacket.
  • While boarding a vessel using the ship’s accommodation ladder, the boat engaged in the transfer operation rose with the swell causing the person to be hit by the ship’s The person suffered a fracture to his leg.

CHIRP Suggests

  • Guidelines for some of these operations, as well as the equipments in use, are KNOW THE EQUIPMENT, KNOW AND OBSERVE THE GUIDELINES.
  • Scenarios, equipments and environmental conditions PAY ATTENTION; KEEP ALERT. This applies to both those that transfer and those that supervise the activity.
  • DON’T TRANSFER, OR ALLOW TRANSFER, UNLESS IT LOOKS AND FEELS INTERVENE IF NEEDED.