Lathe machine, engine room, vessel, accident, incident, training, safety Home Publications Articles Serious injury from lathe operation Serious injury from lathe operation Publications Vijay Rao Published: February 22, 2021 Contact author Download article pdf Picture: Transport Malta Report 05/2021 - TM Copyright The Club would like to bring to the attention of our Members a recent safety investigation report issued by Transport Malta following a serious injury suffered by a crew member while operating a lathe machine in the engine room workshop. The report serves as a reminder of the potentially severe hazards of operating machine tools and the safety measures that should be diligently undertaken to prevent an accident. The injury occurred when a work piece secured on the lathe machine broke loose and hit the crew member. The severity of the injury was accentuated by the speed at which the lathe was operated. A comprehensive safety management system was in place on the vessel and a list of hazards specific to the operation of a lathe machine was also identified. As required in the vessel’s SMS, a risk assessment was carried out and a toolbox meeting was undertaken before the works commenced. The investigation report however identified several gaps in the onboard implementation of the procedures and risk mitigation measures undertaken leading up to the incident. Key learnings from the incident: List of recorded hazards, although comprehensive, did not identify the specific hazard that resulted in the accident; Risk assessment should have included all involved parties; Toolbox talk should discuss any peculiarities of the specific work including any need for supervision; Availability and use of any device that could enhance safety should be considered; Training, familiarisation and skill assessment should be a constant process of verification and update. Works undertaken in a workshop, and especially the use of power tools such as the lathe machine, can be wide and va