Near Miss during Cargo Shipping Operations

Colin Esslemont Centrica

Incident where a 450mm long 2kg pipe wrench was discovered inside a forklift pocket of a workshop unit that had travelled across the UK from Great Yarmouth to Aberdeen with the potential to cause a fatality during both transit and lifting operations. Immediate findings identified that the wrench was not discovered during pre-lift checks and it was also evident, through heavy corrosion, that it had been there for a long period (several years). The unit was wider than standard which made it more difficult for visual inspection / observation. Inadequate inspection procedures for these types of units was identified as a root cause and corrective actions duly put in place. These include all units to be checked if on board for lengthy periods (6 months) and containers wider than 2.4m to have Forklift pockets checked from both sides with a torch.