MSF Update September 2016

Stewart McIntosh Gulfmark

Summary of marine sector dropped object incident statistics from 2006 to date. Although the 2016 number is down, the frequency has actually doubled from 2015 (allowing for the reduced activity). Numerous examples of dropped objects were shown - huge concerns with failures to check backloaded cargo from rig to vessel… 81% of their dropped object incidents. Common causes appear to be that checks fail, possibly because they were done several hours prior to the actual lift or they were not stringent enough. Ownership and learnings are essential to stop these kinds of incidents from occurring and the marine sector welcome support. Corrective actions need to be carried out by everyone in the chain and several questions were raised by the marine sector:
Is cargo being lifted to vessels given the same level of scrutiny as lifts across your assets?
Are those doing the checks fully aware of the potential of these items?
Are they given sufficient time to conduct the checks?
When you experience these incidents or near misses, is your follow up robust enough to prevent recurrence?