CREWWATCHJULY 2022 LIFEBOAT DRILLSTO SAVE LIVES, NOT HARM THEM BURN INJURIESupDATE MANUAL LIFTINGADVICE TO SEAFARERS KIDNEY STONESSTAY HYDRATED CREW WATCH| JULY 2022 We have a mix of topics in this edition of creW Watch, prompted by recent incidents reported to our people risks and loss prevention teams. regrettably, lifeboat accidents are still being reported and so We take the opportunity to look at lifeboat drills and What steps our members can take to keep them as safe as possible. We also focus on creW health, With articles on the importance of staying hydrated to prevent the development of kidney stones and another look at the topic of burn injuries. there is also a poster sent out With this edition, reminding us of the importance of taking care of our bodies When lifting and carrying. if you Would like any extra copies of the poster, please let us knoW. brtianniacommunications@tindallriley.com claire myatt Editor WE HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS ISSUE OF CREW WATCH.We are looking for ways to maintain and increase the usefulness, relevance and general interest of the articles. If you have any ideas or comments please send them to: britanniacommunications@tindallriley.com | 1 In one lifeboat drill fatality case, the investigation report from the Maltese Flag Marine Safety Investigation unit (MSIu) revealed that the lifeboat’s wire ropes were inferior in break load strength to the ones recommended by the manufacturer. Another contributory factor in this incident was that severe corrosion had degraded the core condition of the lifeboat fall wires. This corrosion was mainly due to lack of maintenance, which had caused the wires to part 2 while the lifeboat was suspended in midair. This shows how important it is for crewmembers to carry out maintenance of the lifeboat equipment according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. The equipment’s maintenance schedule must be incorporated into the vessel’s planned Maintenance System (pMS) and qualified shore service providers must be used for the required tests. There was another tragic incident a few years ago which took place during a lifeboat recovery. The incident report stated that the Bosun was cranking the manual winch handle when the electrician unknowingly started working on the winch’s electrical switch panel for hoisting function. Once power was regained, the winch handle spun off at high speed, striking the Bosun on the head. Although limit switches are installed to isolate the power supply to the winch when the cranking handle is inserted for manual operation, there is always a risk that the limit switch may be bypassed by the user from the switch panel. This shows how important it is to have a well-established communication system, such as verbal exchange over walkie-talkies, between all the crewmembers involved in the lifeboat drills.This must be in place before starting any actions and would certainly help to ensure that nobody is exposed to any unnecessary risks. | 1 LIFEBOAT DRILLS TO SAVE LIVES, NOT TO HARM THEM EVERY YEAR, LIFEBOAT ACCIDENTS CONTINUE TO HAPPEN, WITH SOME LEADING TO SERIOUS INJURIES AND OTHERS EVEN RESULTING IN DEATH. THE LOSS PREVENTION TEAM AT BRITANNIA HAS BEEN INVESTIGATING LIFEBOAT ACCIDENTS AND NOTICED THAT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF THESE ACCIDENTS OCCURRED DURING LIFEBOAT DRILLS OR INSPECTIONS. THEY ALSO FOUND THAT THERE WERE ACCIDENTS INVOLVING THE LIFEBOAT EQUIPMENT, RELEASE MECHANISMS AND EVEN THE WIRE ROPES 1 . capt. charles chong Loss prevention Officer, S