The Hong Kong Marine Department has issued Merchant Shipping Information Note regarding a fatal fall on slippery deck. A bosun of a Hong Kong registered bulk carrier fell down on deck and died shortly while he was checking and closing the hatch covers after finishing the loading of coal cargo. This note draws the attention of Shipowners, Ship Managers, Ship Operators, Masters, Officers and Crew to the lessons learnt from this accident.

On a tanker on passage, the fire alarm suddenly sounded. At the same time, the engine room crew saw small flames and smoke rising from the after exhaust manifold and cylinder heads of the running main engine. After extinguishing the localised fire, it was discovered that hydraulic oil from the cargo pump system had leaked from a flange connection in the vent/overflow line situated directly above the main engine cylinder head platform.

A general cargo ship arrived with an import cargo that was stacked high on the hatch covers, exposing a large lateral wind area. A strong offshore wind was blowing during the final approach to the berth (starboard side to) with a pilot on board, but it had been already decided that the docking could be safely completed without tug assistance.

A self-unloading bulk carrier sailed in the morning after loading a cargo of aggregates. The pilot disembarked soon after unberthing, and the vessel proceeded at Full Ahead (about 12 knots) with the Master, 3/O and a helmsman manning the bridge. Visibility was good with a moderate breeze. Besides the two radars, the bridge team was using an ECDIS, on which, a safety contour of 10 metres (inappropriate, considering a sailing draught of 10.63 metres), a cross-track deviation limit of 0.2 mile and an anti-grounding warning zone that covered a narrow arc ahead to a range of about ten minutes’ steaming had been set.

Whilst attempting to lower the purifier bowl assembly on to its overhauling stand, the fourth engineer’s left index finger got trapped between the bowl and the upper surface of the workbench. The tip of the finger was severed.

Whilst changing the ultra violet (UV) lamp in the ship’s fresh water steriliser unit, a crewmember inadvertently switched on the UV light and stared directly into it. Later on in the day, he experienced irritation, redness, pain and temporary blindness in the eye. He was given first aid on board and subsequently was sent ashore for treatment.

A tanker at anchor was preparing to moor a large bunker vessel on her port side to receive fuel. When she was nearly in position, (bow to bow configuration with both vessels’ sterns in line) the bunker vessel passed two sternlines to the tanker’s port quarter, where they were belayed on bitts.

A bulk carrier was at an anchorage port, loading coal. A trainee engine cadet was instructed by a senior engineer to clean the top of the waste oil tank, the contents of which was being maintained at about 70°C. The top of the tank was fitted with four hinged flap lids, one of them being held open by means of a stopper rod. Whilst carrying out the assigned task, the cadet unknowingly placed his foot in way of the opening and his left leg stumbled into the tank and plunged into the hot oil, scalding his leg below the knee.

A crewman was injured whilst using a power tool in an incorrect manner. He had been instructed by the C/E to clean paint and corrosion off the stud threads of a manhole cover in preparation for a tank entry.

Our crude oil tanker arrived at her offshore loading terminal but due to prevailing severe gale conditions, the vessel remained at anchorage, waiting for the weather to improve. Two days later, an attempt to berth was aborted halfway through as the wind suddenly increased, and the vessel re-anchored. On the morning of the fourth day, the weather improved with a moderate westerly wind. The vessel approached the single point mooring (SPM) to pick up the chafing chain from the buoy and secure it to her bow chain stopper. At that time, the Mooring Master informed the Master that the SPM had been lying unused for nearly a year.