Report on the investigation of a fall from height on the bulk carrier Equinox Seas resulting in one fatality at ONEX Syros Shipyard, Ermoupoli, Syros, Greece on 17 April 2023.
Summary:
On 17 April 2023, a crewman on board Equinox Seas was fatally injured when he fell 10m down an open ventilation trunk where a fan had been removed for maintenance by the shipyard.
The key safety issues identified were:
- The barrier controls in place in the fan room were insufficient to mitigate the risk of falling from height.
- The specific risks associated with the fan removal had not been assessed or mitigated, which put staff at risk from those hazards.
- Safety on board Equinox Seas was not effectively managed during the entire stay at the shipyard.
- Ineffective communication and coordination between the shipyard and ship’s staff meant that deficiencies of safety management were not addressed.
- Relevant industry guidance on the management of safety in a shipyard was not incorporated into the working practices of the shipyard.
- The Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seafarers did not contain any guidance related to the risks created or amplified on ships in a shipyard environment.
- Following the accident the ship’s management company, Equinox Maritime Ltd, amended its safety management system to address risks arising in a shipyard environment.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency initiated a work item to consider amendments to the Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seafarers.
Safety recommendations:
A recommendation (2024/133) has been made to ONEX Syros Shipyards S.A. to update its safety management system to ensure that risks created by the work carried out by its workers are effectively managed and coordinated with a ship’s crew and that the responsibility for safety is clearly understood between all parties.
