Person overboard from scallop dredger Maggie Ann with loss of 1 life
Location: Cardigan Bay, Wales.
Accident Investigation Report 19/2009
Investigation report into marine accident including what happened, safety lessons and recommendations made:
(840.63 kb)
(1,169.27 kb)
Summary
At about 1308 on 12 February 2009, a deckhand on board the UK registered scallop dredger, Maggie Ann, fell overboard as he was emptying a dredge bag. He had been standing on the port dredge beam, which was suspended and almost level with the gunwale, when the dredge bag lifting becket parted.
Safety Issues
A number of safety issues were identified including: operation of the fishing gear; the practice of not wearing a lifejacket or safety harness; and a lack of understanding of risk assessments.
Recommendations
A recommendation has been made to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency which seeks to build on existing initiatives designed to improve fishing vessel safety by: expediting the MCA’s current work on the use of personal flotation devices by fishermen; ensuring emergency drills and the provision of guidance on risk assessment are undertaken to a consistent standard by all fishing vessel surveyors and inspectors throughout the UK; and the incorporation of guidance into its revision of MGN 265 (F) (PDF, 65KB) designed to preclude the need for scallop fishermen to lean outboard of the bulwark during tipping operations. A recommendation has also been made to the owner, AGR Fishing Company Limited, to improve the safe operation of its vessel, and to the Scallop Association to endorse and promulgate the MAIB flyer which highlights the lessons learned from this tragic accident.
Related publications
A safety flyer has also been produced for this investigation.
This report was published on 8 September 2009.