Precautionary tales

Cook cut finger. Fainted at sight of blood. Hit head on stove and suffered head injury

This Company had a seafarer who died from malaria 4 days after leaving the vessel. Trading West Africa. Has made tablets available at meal times, but can’t force the crew to take them. Has now made ‘refusal to take anti-malarial medication’ a dismissible offence and all must sign daily for tablets.

Apprentice using power jet washer, tried to clear blockage and looked down the hose at the same time. Stopped by fitter.

Approaching Cape Horn 0600 in heavy weather when the fire alarm sounded. Lub Oil had leaked onto exhaust. (Chain of errors compounded by the Engineer stopping the wrong engine.) After investigation, it was found that luboil drum had broken free and punctured, then leaked onto exhaust. The drum had been there two years, was surplus to requirements (wrong oil supplied). The lashing appeared adequate but had apparently been too short and instead of being replaced by a longer line, the shortfall had been made up with light sail twine. The manager estimates that this had been overlooked by ISM auditors, four internal audits and over 100 weekly inspections in addition to duty Engineers’ rounds every four hours for two years.

Peru. Captain went ashore with stomach complaint. Appendix removed. Did not tell anyone and told crew not to mention to office. Passed fit by hospital after 24 hours and returned to vessel. Only brought to the Company’s attention when his wound began to bleed at sea.

Man found at sea 85 miles SE of Bermuda. Claimed that he had stowed away on board a bulker carrying sugar, which had loaded in the Dominican Republic. When he emerged and asked for water, the crew had thrown him overboard.

Captain went to the bridge and found that the Second Officer (with a senior cadet) were running with 35 degrees of set allowed to the helm in fine weather. In fact, the gyrocompass had failed.

This Company have now recognised that they have a considerable problem with navigating officers over relying on technology and having little or no situational awareness. Third party navigation audits are being carried out.

A fitter fell 2m from a ladder in a cargo hold and suffered a minor head injury. Crew noticed his behaviour had changed and the Captain contacted the manager. Only after some hours of the manager looking at options to divert, did the Captain actually explain that he had passed close to land several hours previously and a medevac was arranged quickly. Crew member found to have haematoma, which would have been fatal if not treated quickly.