Maritime Accident Casebook: The Case Of The Rose Assassin is Now Online

Maritime Accident Casebook, MAC, has put its audio podcast version story of the incident The Case Of The Rose Assassin online, together with an illustrated transcript as a free safety awareness aid for seafarers and those who train them.

Concern over the unacceptable level of seafarer deaths in confined and enclosed spaces has been highlighted by the recent release of a report by the UK's Maritime Accident Investigation Branch, MAIB, into the fatality of a second bosun aboard the passenger liner Saga Rose in Southampton while a safety management audit was underway. Maritime Accident Casebook, MAC, has put its audio podcast version story of the incident The Case of the Rose Assassin online, together with an illustrated transcript as a free safety awareness aid for seafarers and those who train them.

While Saga Rose was docked in Southampton a second bosun was tasked with finding out whether a ballast tank, unopened for three years, contained fresh or salt water. Because the tank was expected to be full and it was believed the testing could be done without entering the tank no permit to work was thought to be required. The tank was not full and the second bosun entered the tank and collapsed and died due to lack of oxygen. A motorman who attempted a rescue without the right equipment was rendered unconscious.

No responsible officer was monitoring the situation because, in addition to the usual workload of the port call, the officers were occupied with a safety management audit and the completion of a tank inspection by Det Norske Veritas, while the bosun was busy with passenger luggage and the chief officer was resting before taking the watch later that day.

Says Bob Couttie, administrator and narrator of Maritime Accident Casebook: "Basically, the nature of the second bosun's job changed but he didn't adjust for that change. He knew the safe procedures for entering an enclosed space but didn't fall back on them. He was probably so focussed on doing his job that he didn't appreciate that when a job changes, so do the hazards.

"We have to teach seafarers that when something about a job changes unexpectedly you've got to stop, step back and review what your doing."

A further dark lesson is that untrained or ill-equipped would-be rescuers may take away a chance of life for the person they are trying to rescue. "We don't know whether or not the second bosun could have been revived because the emergency response team had to concentrate on the motorman, who was semi-conscious. It's unnervingly common for would-be rescuers to die or require attention before treatment can be given to the original victim, removing any margin for saving that seafarers life."

MAIB has asked the Maritime & Coastguard Agency to make representations to the International Maritime Organisation and the Maritime Accident Investigators International Forum is putting concentrate effort into bringing attention to the issue.

Like all MAC podcasts, The Case Of The Rose Assassin reveals the circumstance around a real event through an audio podcast and online materials available for free at the Maritime Accident Casebook website, www.maritimeaccident.org.

As with the preceding episodes, the podcast is backed by an illustrated online transcript that seafarers can read, discuss and share with their crewmates and other seafarers. Those with training and safety responsibilities can use the broadcasts and the transcripts freely.

Maritime Accident Casebook, MAC, is a unique, free, informal educational resource, supported by donations, for seafarers and maritime trainers which seeks to empower seafarers through knowledge to keep themselves alive and their ships safe. Using audio podcasts that can be played on any computer, MP3 Player or MP3-capable cellphone and online downloadable hard-copy transcripts, MAC encourages seafarers to discuss lessons learned from real-life events and apply them to their own vessels and working practices to create a safety-conscious community.

For further information about Bob Couttie's Maritime Accident Casebook see the website at http://maritimeaccident.org email [email protected]