CRUSH HAZARDS AT SEA: SAFE HANDLING OF HEAVY STEEL PLATES Published: 13 January 2026 In a case handled by the Club, three crew members were moving 10 pieces of steel plate around the steering gear room while the ship was underway. Each piece measured approximately 2.4m x 1.2m and 5mm thick, weighing around 110kg. After transferring the plates to their new location, two crew members were holding the plates against adjacent railings, while another crew member was trying to secure the plates to the railings using a rope. The ship rolled unexpectedly due to large swell which resulted in the plates moving and falling on top of the crew member who was attempting to secure them with a rope, partially crushing him as he tried to escape. The injured person (IP) was fortunate that the other crewmembers were there to help remove the plates which had fallen on to him. However, he did suffer very serious leg, arm, and internal injuries. The ship was diverted so that the IP could receive emergency medical treatment, and he spent six weeks in hospital before his condition stabilised sufficiently to allow repatriation home to continue medical treatment there. The investigation after the incident revealed that whilst a risk assessment and toolbox talk had been carried out, they were found to have been done improperly. During the risk assessment process, the risk of personal injury was identified as highly likely and therefore the task should not have been carried out without suitable mitigation measures being in place. For example, any work task that relies solely upon the strength of the personnel involved is not always safe. It was also found that the toolbox talk was treated as a tick box exercise only; the risks were not discussed, and the job was not adequately supervised as per the work plan. To prevent such incidents in future the following actions are recommended: The risk assessment should be fit for purpose, the control methods used to reduce the likely hood of the ri