BSAFE case studies

BSafe Case Studies

Using case studies as a way of analysing previous incidents and identifying lessons learned which can be shared with others, is an important part of improving safety performance

Reflecting on past events is recognised as an effective way of learning from experience in order to positively influence future behaviours.

Reflection is not just about reading an accident report or watching a case study video. It’s about examining the content and reviewing the sequence of events. It’s about analysing why it happened and “what it means to me” (Energy Institute), then relating the identified learning points to an individual’s personal situation and considering whether things can be done differently.

Encouraging reflective learning is a key element of BSafe. Each quarter we will be issuing a new BSafe Incident Case Study on this page. These will be based on a real accident or claim, appropriately anonymised , with a summary of the key lessons learned.

We believe the true power of reflective learning lies in considering and discussing an incident with colleagues, which generates a richer and more valuable dialogue. In order to encourage this, we will also provide dedicated training materials for each BSafe Incident Case Study. This will include presentation material and a reflective learning form which can be used as training materials as Members or their crew see fit. For example, these could be used to support onboard safety meetings, crew seminars, or just for individual reflection.

Finally, a Britannia commentary will be provided for each incident which explores the key issues in more detail to help develop the reflective learning. This will include some suggestions for possible controls that could have helped mitigate the risk by using our interpretation of a Hierarchy of Risk Controls (based on ISO 45001 and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)).

Links to our monthly BSafe Incident Case Studies are provided below. In addition, we have also included some other previously published Britannia case studies. Although these don’t include the reflective training material provided with the full BSafe Incident Case Studies, they do still offer some valuable insights for consideration.

An unexpected incident occurred on board a bulk carrier nearing the completion of loading corn cargo, causing two fumigation contractors to asphyxiate and resulting the death of one contractor.

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Published: 23 August 2024

A stevedore on board a general cargo ship was fatally crushed between the gantry crane and a hatch cover during cargo discharge in Antwerp, Belgium. Despite no one witnessing the incident, it is believed that he positioned himself between the moving gantry crane and the hatch cover to check on his team’s progress working in the hold.

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Published: 23 May 2024

A dragging anchor incident caused a general cargo ship to collide with two nearby ships, resulting in structural damage to all three ships. Fortunately, no pollution or loss of life was reported.

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Published: 29 February 2024

A seafarer lost his life after inhaling hydrocarbon fumes emitted from a bunker tank vent while the tanks were being heated.

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Published: 23 November 2023

A crew member suffered a fatal head injury on board a 20,236GT General Cargo Vessel

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Published: 22 August 2023

An incident on a 2,825 GT General Cargo ship resulted in the fatality of a Sea Pilot during a routine pilot transfer as the vessel was outbound.

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Published: 13 June 2023

A 43,472 GT bulk carrier ran aground on a charted shoal whilst on passage between the Philippines and Australia. The incident occurred after the vessel drifted from the track, with no audible or visual warnings given to the Officer of the Watch (OOW).

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Published: 2 February 2023

A bulk carrier was to carry out cargo hold cleaning while drifting in preparation for its next cargo with the help of a riding team contracted from ashore. During the third day of washing the cargo holds, one of the riding team members fell approximately 17 metres down into cargo hold no. 5 and was found motionless on the tank top. The person was later pronounced dead.

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Published: 10 October 2022

A fully cellular 1,400 TEU container ship was on a voyage from Melbourne to Fremantle, Australia, when water was found in an underdeck passage. It transpired that during heavy weather the hatch access lid on the forecastle deck leading to the forecastle store had been ripped off and dumped on the windlass, allowing water ingress into the forecastle.

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Published: 6 July 2022

A multi-purpose carrier was about to anchor after leaving port carrying a cargo of various types of fertiliser in bulk as well as general cargoes when white smoke was noticed emitting from cargo hold no.3. After a failed attempt to extinguish the suspected fire using the ship’s fixed CO2 system and with the risk of an explosion due to the decomposition of the fertiliser, the ship was evacuated and later declared a total loss.

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Published: 7 April 2022

A refrigerated cargo ship had berthed in Southampton to discharge a cargo of fruit. On the day of arrival the local port state authorities had boarded the ship in order to conduct a Port State Control (PSC) inspection, which included a lifeboat drill.

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Published: 30 December 2021   Updated: 5 January 2022

A small ship was chartered to carry a cargo of corn on a short haul voyage in Europe. On completion of loading, aluminium phosphide was placed in the holds to fumigate the cargo in transit.

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Published: 30 November 2021

While at anchorage an electrician did not appear for dinner and consequently a search was initiated. He was later found trapped inside the vessel’s elevator shaft between the elevator’s counterweight and a protective beam, where he had been working earlier that same day.

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Published: 27 October 2021

The Boston Trader was moored in the port of Oran, Algeria. While the crew were securing the containers loaded on deck, one seafarer was hit on the foot by the lower end of a falling lashing bar, which resulted in a serious injury.

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Published: 29 September 2021

FERNANDA a 2,576GT Ro-Ro ship built in 1982 was nearing the end of her voyage when a fire broke out in the engine room. Despite an early decision to deploy the ship’s fixed halon firefighting system the fire could not be extinguished, and the crew had to be evacuated by helicopter.

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Published: 25 August 2021

Two crew members on a general cargo ship were injured when a suspended load fell and struck them.

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Published: 29 July 2021

The second officer on a general cargo ship was fatally injured when he was crushed between the ship’s gantry crane and a stack of cargo hold hatch covers during post-cargo loading operations.

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Published: 28 May 2021

Two crew members on board a bulk carrier sustained serious injuries during the fall of a mobile scaffold tower that was being repositioned in a cargo hold while they remained on the scaffolding.

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Published: 30 April 2021

The Chief Officer (C/O) on board a bulk carrier entered a cargo hold containing logs and rapidly lost consciousness. A crew member entered the hold to try to rescue the C/O, but suffered the same fate. Both were later pronounced dead due to asphyxia.

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Published: 30 March 2021

An oil tanker was on passage when the ship’s electrician, who had been working alone, was fatally electrocuted while performing maintenance of the inert gas scrubber electrical system

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Published: 27 February 2021

While on passage at night, a 2,281gt general cargo ship ran aground on the Pentland Skerries in the eastern entrance of the Pentland Firth, Scotland

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Published: 31 January 2021

An AB on board a product tanker suffered severe injuries after falling from a portable ladder while conducting maintenance work on the launching system for the ship’s free-fall lifeboat and later tragically died from his injuries.

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Published: 23 December 2020

The Third Engineer (3/E) on board an anchored capesize bulk carrier was splashed by hot sludge while opening the manhole cover of a settling tank and subsequently died from a septic shock having sustained 2nd degree burns to a large part of his body.

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Published: 12 November 2020

An investigation report published by the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) of Singapore has highlighted some sadly all too familiar lessons regarding the appropriate actions to be taken both before and after a collision

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Published: 1 August 2019

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (UK MAIB) has recently published its report on the HOEGH OSAKA, a pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) which grounded on Bramble Bank in the Solent shortly after departing Southampton in January 2015

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Published: 1 August 2016

NOCC OCEANIC, a 12 deck car carrier, left Keihin Port, Japan on 22 June, bound for Balboa, Panama.

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Published: 1 August 2015

On 10 December 2013 at 2245 the general cargo ship PAULA C was heading south-west in the Dover Strait traffic separation scheme. It was a dark, clear night with good visibility. She was in ballast, heading for Poole, England.

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Published: 1 November 2014

Britannia