Safety flyer to the fishing industry – Honeybourne III
Published 15 January 2026
© Crown copyright 2026
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/is-your-quick-release-assembly-safe/safety-flyer-to-the-fishing-industry-honeybourne-iii
1. Summary
Fatal accident to a deckhand on board the scallop dredger Honeybourne III (PD905) 16 nautical miles south of Newhaven, England on 6 October 2023.
2. Narrative
At 2345 on 6 October 2023, a deckhand on the scallop dredger Honeybourne III (PD905) was fatally injured when he was struck by a towing block that had fallen from the head of the port derrick. A section of chain supporting the fishing gear failed, releasing the gear that fell to the deck below, striking and fatally injuring the deckhand. The chain that failed formed part of a quick-release assembly designed to enable the crew to release the gear from the derrick head should the dredging gear snag on the seabed and endanger the stability of the vessel.
3. Safety lessons
The investigation concluded that the training provided to people carrying out inspections of lifting equipment across the fishing industry is ineffective. The guidance supporting them also lacks clarity in the level of knowledge and competency required to ensure that the lifting equipment remains safe for use.
This safety flyer supplements the safety issues identified in the MAIB report into its investigation of a similar fatal accident to a deckhand on board the beam trawler Cornishman (PZ 512) on 6 February 2021 (MAIB report 8/20251), where the inspections carried out on the vessel’s quick-release assembly did not identify the risk of failure.
It is vital that inspections of lifting equipment are carried out by someone who has the necessary knowledge and information to enable them to identify faults and make an informed decision as to whether the gear remains fit for purpose. The lifting equipment on fishing vessels operates in a harsh environment at high loads. Any failure places fishermen working in nearby at a serious risk of injury.
4. Further information
Our accident investigation report is available at: https://www.gov.uk/maib-reports/fatal-injury-to-a-deckhand-following-a-chain-failure-on-the-scallop-dredger-honeybourne-iii-pd905
Extract from The United Kingdom Merchant Shipping (Accident Reporting and Investigation) Regulations 2012 – Regulation 5:
The sole objective of the investigation of an accident under the Merchant Shipping (Accident Reporting and Investigation) Regulations 2012 shall be the prevention of future accidents through the ascertainment of its causes and circumstances. It shall not be the purpose of an such investigation to determine liability nor, except so far as is necessary to achieve its objective, to apportion blame.
Note:
This safety flyer is not written with litigation in mind and, pursuant to Regulation 14(14) of the Merchant Shipping (Accident Reporting and Investigation) Regulations 2012, shall be inadmissible in any judicial proceedings whose purpose, or one of whose purposes is to attribute or apportion liability or blame.
Marine Accident Investigation Branch
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