RA 15 – April 2010 - One of a series of Steamship Mutual Loss Prevention Bulletins produced by the Ship Safety Trust Page 1 of 2 For further information please contact the Loss Prevention Department, Steamship Insurance Management Services Ltd., Tel: +44 20 7247 5490; Email: loss.prevention@simsl.com Web: www.simsl.com/loss-prevention-and-safety-training.html Personal Injury in Personal Injury inPersonal Injury in Personal Injury in and around and around and around and around Cargo Holds Cargo Holds Cargo Holds Cargo Holds Introduction IntroductionIntroduction Introduction Crew illness and injury claims consistently represent around 30% of all claims incurred by the Club in any one year. Whilst the majority of claims arise from illness, a substantial number involve avoidable personal injury and high levels of cost. Work at sea often involves hazardous conditions and the advent of the ISM Code in 1998, and the resultant focus upon shipboard safety management ought to have greatly reduced the risk of accidents resulting in personal injury. Undoubtedly close adherence by crewmembers to the procedures laid down in vessels’ safety management systems, proper training, and the use of appropriate personal protective equipment represent the best safeguard against unnecessary personal injury. However, notwithstanding the regulatory framework that now applies in relation to shipboard safety, the Club continues to experience claims arising from incidents that illustrate that more still has to be done to contain this risk. For the individual who has the misfortune to suffer a serious personal injury, the consequences are at best uncomfortable, and at their worst devastating. For a shipowner, accidents can result not only in serious financial consequences, but also operational difficulties and delay. Clearly it is in the interest of all concerned to eliminate the risk of accidents occurring in the first instance. A review of some of the claims recently incurred by the Club clearly illustrates that notwithstanding the existence of safety management systems and their associated procedures, accidents resulting in serious personal injury are still occurring. In this issue of Risk Alert, a number of claims are examined which have as their theme serious personal injury arising in a variety of circumstances either within cargo holds or in conjunction with cargo operations. It should be evident from the narrative of each event that the incidents and the resultant injuries were all avoidable. A Falling Tarpaulin A Falling TarpaulinA Falling Tarpaulin A Falling Tarpaulin A general cargo vessel was partly laden with a cargo of steel coils. In order to prepare for the loading of further cargo, a number of the crew were directed to cover the steel coils with tarpaulins. On the main deck a deck cadet and one seaman brought a folded tarpaulin to the hatch cover of the hold in which it was to be used. An additional seaman was stationed on the ‘tween deck to check that the area was clear and to receive the tarpaulin. Rather than using a line to lower the tarpaulin into the hold, the cadet and seaman lifted it on to the hatch coaming preparatory to dropping it into the hold. The seaman on the ‘tween deck was asked to confirm that the area was clear, and he did so. The crew on deck called out a warning and then immediately dropped the tarpaulin. At that moment, the bosun, who had been working in the lower hold, arrived on the tween deck and walked out from the wing of