A Frame – Maritime Accident Casebook

Wedgie cracks Lifeboat

Accident, Accident report, freefall, lifeboat, lifeboat accidents, Safety Alerts Comments Off

Dec 272010

Damaged lifeboats are expensive.

A company investigation into the parting of a wire fall during the recovery of a freefall lifeboat highlights the hazards created when wedge socket arrangements are improperly fitted. Note that in this case the wedge socket arrangement was installed while the ship was being built, so just because something is ‘factory-fresh’ does not mean it has been put together properly.

Wedge sockets are popular because they are easy to install and are used where end termination can be made only after the wire rope has been reeved into place.

Says an internal report by the ship manager: “During a routine boat drill the Free-fall lifeboat had been lowered to the water during the drill using the A-Frame and was being recovered when the fall wire parted causing the boat to fall some nine metres to the water.

Cormorant: Overloaded A Frame Collapse

Accident, Accident report Comments Off

Nov 242010

Britain’s Marine Accident Investigating Branch, MAIB, has identified a deck fitting overloaded due to unco-ordinated use of winches, a lift operation interrupted and the master’s concentration broken by the arrival of the vessel’s commercial agent and a lifting operation not identified as a key shipboard operation in the collapse of an A Frame on the floating sheerleg Cormorant. Consequently, no risk assessment had been carried out and there were no written procedures provided.

Says the MAIB report: “At 1001 on 7 March 2010, the 85 tonne ‘A’ frame on board the Netherlands registered floating sheerleg Cormorant collapsed on to the deck while being lifted into position. Substantial damage was caused to the wheelhouse, the ‘A’ frame and its supporting frames, and to deck fittings. Although there were three people in the wheelhouse and two on deck, there were no injuries. Continue reading »