UR

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Latest news

Report into fatal accident published

The MAIB has published an investigation report into an incident where on July 29, 2021, at 1:53 p.m. the bosun of the 'Clipper Pennant', actually sailing as 'Ur', was fatally crushed when he became trapped between a moving vehicle and the vessel’s structure. The ship was alongside in Liverpool, England, loading a cargo of semi-trailers. A tractor unit driver pushed a semi-trailer into a corner space, marshalled by the vessel’s bosun in his assigned role as banksman. The driver then disconnected the tractor unit and drove away. Shortly afterwards, the bosun was found trapped between the rear of the semi-trailer and the vessel’s structure, having sustained fatal injuries. The accident happened because the tractor unit driver did not stop pushing the semi-trailer when they lost sight of the bosun during the manoeuvre. This was due to a procedural workaround that had become routine practice at the port, whereby the banksman was expected to move to an unsighted position behind a nearby semi-trailer. However, the bosun in this instance did not act as expected. He instead stood on a painted walkway located inside the vehicle lane to marshal the semi-trailer into the space, and so remained in its path as it approached. The semi-trailer had inadvertently been parked at an angle, encroaching the walkway and striking the bosun. The investigation found that the working practices on board the 'Clipper Pennant' did not reflect industry guidelines and company procedure; there was no documented procedure for stowing semi-trailers in the more hazardous corner stowage spaces, which led to the development of local workarounds that went unchallenged; and organisational oversight was insufficiently effective, both in the approach of the vessel’s operator, Seatruck Ferries Limited, to learning lessons from previous accidents and the management of the port and its tractor unit drivers by the vessel’s charterer, P&O Ferries Limited. Since the accident, Seatruck Ferries Limited has taken several actions to improve safety on its vehicle decks, including developing a new safe system of work that recognises dynamic danger zones and establishing standard loading procedures that better reflect the work performed. The company has also engaged with the industry to share its findings following several trials and tests of new procedures on company vessels and in various ports. A safety recommendation has been made to industry bodies to develop a jointly agreed and consolidated industry Code of Practice for vehicle deck safety on roll-on/roll-off vessels. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Health and Safety Executive are recommended to amend their relevant codes and guidelines to reflect industry best practice. Recommendations have also been made to: P&O Ferries Limited to review how it achieves assurance that its ports adhere to its operational procedures and that a jointly agreed safe system of work is in place on chartered vessels; and to CLdN RoRo Limited (formerly Seatruck Ferries Limited) to improve its organisational safety culture and ensure effective supervision of vehicle deck cargo loading operations. Fullö report: https://safety4sea.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/UKMAIB-ClipperPennant-2024_11.pdf

Deadly accident in Liverpool

A worker has been killed in an incident involving a freight container at Seaforth Docks in Liverpool in the afternoon of July 20, 2021. The 67-year-old man, a member of Seatruck Ferries crew, died during cargo operations on the 'Clipper PennanÄ'. Merseyside Police said he died at the scene and his family had been informed. The police was investigating his death with the Ports Police, Marine Accident Investigation Branch and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Seatruck was working closely with the emergency services who were dealing with the situation.

CLIPPER PENNANT ends Canary Bridge Seaways charter

Seatruck Ferries’ 1,830-lanemetre CLIPPER PENNANT has ended her charter with Canary Bridge Seaways, the Baleària-Fred. Olsen Express joint venture that operates a thrice weekly service between Huelva and the Canaries.