Maritime Accident Casebook: The Case Of The Fallen Saviour
One in five maritime incidents involve errors of communication says Maritime Accident Casebook in its latest podcast, The Case Of The Fallen Saviour. While a main cause for the featured incident was inadequate training which led to the serious injury of a seafarer when a freefall lifeboat launched accidentally, communication failures, from signage to spoken instructions, played key roles.
Based on an incident investigated by what was then Australian Maritime Incident Investigation Unit, MIIU, The Case Of The Fallen Saviour tells the story of the accidental launch of a freefall lifeboat aboard the Russian-crewed Maersk Pomor in Gladstone, Queensland, Australia, during a port state inspection.
Says Bob Couttie, administrator of Maritime Accident Casebook and narrator of the podcast: "There are two conflicting accounts as to why the lifeboat was launched, neither speaks well of the training and safety regime onboard the ship, but the common element is poor communication."
'Safety critical signs were only in English, the ship's working language was Russian. You can argue that the crewmember should have had sufficient proficiency in English but what saves lives isn't what people should know, it's what they do know."
Pictorial signs, too, can prove confusing. Says Couttie: "The hook release warning sign did not adequately reflect the way in which the lifeboat was launched, reducing its effectiveness as a means of communication."
Even simple strategies like repeating back given instructions can reduce the chance of communication errors.
Although freefall lifeboats are widely considered safer than davit-launched lifeboats they do present specific hazards of their own. Suggests Couttie: "When you board a freefall lifeboat ask yourself "Is this a real evacuation? If the answer is 'no', then fit restraining strops or maintenance wires before boarding - but make sure they're in good condition and fit for purpose."
Like all MAC podcasts, The Case Of The Fallen Saviour 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, each 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.
For further information about Bob Couttie's Maritime Accident Casebook, see the website at http://maritimeaccident.org or e-mail him at [email protected].
•About Maritime Accident Casebook:
MAC is a unique, free, informal educational resource 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.
Maritime Accident Casebook is the acting secretariat for the Maritime Casualty Investigation Association, which will be formally launched on 1st January 2009.
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