B SAFE Loss Prevention BSAFE INCIDENT CASE STUDY 09: FALL OF A HEAVY OBJECT – CARGO LOADING WORKPLACE ACCIDENT Published: 29 July 2021 Two crew members on a general cargo ship were injured when a suspended load fell and struck them. The suspended load were wire rope legs and shackles used to move the ship’s hatch covers (“the lifting gear”), which fell because the hoist parted (Figure 1) after one of the shackles became wedged at the storage location. Both crew members were standing inside the hazardous area around the suspended load, ready to manually guide the load clear of snagging hazards during the lift. The lifting gear had been stowed in the cargo hold ventilation duct space, where it was known to have snagged before. The lifting operation had not been formally risk assessed, and a lifting plan for the work had not been produced. Figure 1 Broken fibre sling (after the accident). Source: Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) WHAT HAPPENED? A 11,000 GT general cargo ship built in 2018, was to load a cargo of wind turbine tower sections ( Figure 2 ). The deck crew, supervised by the chief officer (C/O), began to prepare the ship for cargo loading. This work was halted in the afternoon due to adverse wind conditions, but was scheduled to recommence later in the evening when the weather was expected to improve. At 2100 the weather had improved. The C/O conducted a safety briefing and took up the position as supervisor, accompanied by the bosun (BSN). The ship’s working lights were turned on, illuminating the area where the crew were to work. Figure 2 The ship in berth, showing accident site and wind turbine sections for loading. Source: Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) Following the safety briefing, one of the able-bodied seamen (A/B) used the ship’s forward crane to remove the cargo hold ventilation duct space cover ( Figure 3 ), so that the lifting gear could be retrieved. Two other A/Bs then entered the ventilation duct space and attached the f