Page 10 - 2022 - Q3 - Minerva in Focus

SAFETY & SECURITY Incident Case Study:
Accidental release of a lifeboat
Οccurred on board a vessel of another company
Figure 1:
Port side lifeboat after the incident
Source: Maritime Accident Investigation Branch detained the ship. The PSCO ordered the
by Slav Ostrowicki
Britannia P&I Club
10 MINERVA IN FOCUS – ISSUE 21 / Q3 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 boarded the ship to conduct a Port State Con-
trol (PSC) inspection, which included a lifeboat drill. While securing the lifeboat after the
drill, the ship`s bosun sustained minor injuries as the forward end of the lifeboat fell from
its davit because it was not correctly reset when hoisted from the water (Figure 1).
What happened? tion deck to release the brake and lower the
lifeboat into the water. When the lifeboat was
During the port stay, a Port State Control in the water, its engine was started, and the
Officer (PSCO) from the Maritime and Coast- C/O pulled the hook release handle (Figure 2)
guard Agency (MCA) boarded the ship to to free the boat from the suspension links.
conduct a Port State Control (PSC) inspection. However, the hooks failed to open. The C/O
During the inspection, the PSCO noted sev- pulled the release handle again, and this
eral deficiencies, which included an incorrect time the hooks opened and released the
recording of the crew’s hours of rest and lifeboat from the davit suspension links. The
defective fire hydrants. C/O took the helm, manoeuvred the lifeboat
Based on these findings, the PSCO informed clear of the ship, and sailed around for about
the master that a more detailed inspection 10 minutes before returning and bringing the
of the ship would be undertaken and that lifeboat alongside the ship to be lifted. While
the crew would be required to carry out an preparing to hoist the lifeboat, the crew
emergency fire drill. The conduct of this drill experienced difficulties resetting the hook
was deemed unsatisfactory, and the PSCO release gear, so two crewmen were asked
to pull on the hook release handle to force
crew to carry out an abandon ship drill using it into a position that would allow the safety
the port side lifeboat. The chief officer (C/O), pin to be inserted.
who was the lifeboat commander, entered With the lifeboat in position below the davit
the lifeboat together with five other crew arms, several attempts had to be made by
members. the lifeboat crew before the davit suspen-
The C/O used a portable Very High Frequency sion links were finally connected to the life-
(VHF) radio to instruct the crewman operat- boat hooks. Once engaged, the hooks were
ing the lifeboat davit winch on the embarka- checked by the C/O, who then instructed the
1 The FPD comprised a synthetic sling with a shackle at each end, which was
connected between the suspension link and the hook maintenance shackle
of the forward and aft hook assemblies.
Figure 2: Lifeboat interior -
steering position and hook
release handle
Source: Maritime Accident
Investigation Branch