Crush incident involving steel plates on cable ship Wave Sentinel with loss of 1 life
Location: Off Cornwall, England.
Completed PE Summary: Wave Sentinel
A short summary of the accident and action taken:
| Merchant Vessel/Accident Details | |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Wave Sentinel |
| Registered Owner/Manager | Global Marine Systems |
| Port of Registry | London |
| Flag | UK |
| Type | Cable ship |
| Built | 1995 |
| Gross Tonnage | 12330 |
| Date/Time | 22/08/2002, 1227 |
| Location of Incident | English coastal waters |
| Incident Type | Accident to person |
| Injuries/Fatalities | 1 fatality |
| Damage/Pollution | None |
Synopsis
A crewman was fatally crushed under steel plates when unsecured stanchions were removed to assist with the steel plate on to a recently constructed storage rack.
Action taken
The Chief Inspector wrote to the vessel operator highlighting three safety issues
-
No risk assessment for the work carried out
-
Inadequate supervision of the work carried out
-
Cultural differences on board can lead to unquestioned following of superiors orders