MSF Update December 2015

Steve Struthers MSF

Overview of dropped object incidents from the Marine Sector of the oil and gas industry. Most dropped items landed on or near vessels where the impact could have had serious consequences due to the heights the objects are falling (up to a 70m). Statistics from Gulf Mark Offshore alone show around 350 dropped object incidents since 2006.  A breakdown of the these shows 72% occurred offshore, predominantly from back-loaded cargo, with 12% on base and 8% on vessels. A remarkable 82% of these incidents had a root cause of ‘Checks Failing’. Several specific incidents were exemplified. Steve also highlighted the continuing hazard of vessels being exposed to overboard discharge and asked members to share his concerns with colleagues.