Maritime Occupational Safety & Health

Transcription

1 Maritime Occupational Safety & Health Newsletter June th Edition

2 Contents Page Page 2 General 2 Greetings 3 Stevedore and Ship Repair: Accident Reporting and Investigation 4 Stevedore and Ship Repair: Occupational Diseases Research Project 5 HIV/AIDS Awareness 5 Thank You 6 Stevedoring 6 Stevedore Casualties 7 Minor Injuries 8 Ships Lifting Appliances and Lifting Gear 10 Stevedore Accidents Abroad 11 Statistical Overview 12 Stevedore Inspections 13 Stevedore Maritime Occupational Safety Regulations Compliance Audits 14 Ship Repair & Maintenance 14 Ship Repair Casualties 14 Minor Injuries 14 Ship Repair Maritime Occupational Safety Regulation s Compliance Audits 14 Ship Repair Inspections 14 Hand Arm Vibration 15 Ship Repair Accidents Abroad 1

3 General Greetings Due to my absence towards the end of 2011, the December edition of the newsletter was not published, so I hope that you find the latest edition worth the wait and of some benefit to you. Maritime Occupational Safety Regulations compliance audits have commenced again, starting with the stevedore companies in Port Elizabeth. I will be including the ship repair industry in my audit regime this year, so don t be too surprised if you receive a call from me. I believe it only fitting to start with a brief recap: I take great pleasure in informing you that there were no fatal onboard stevedore injuries during 2011! Records show that this is a first! I would like to congratulate the stevedore industry for achieving this result. However, don t rest on your laurels; let s ensure that all stevedores go home to their families at the end of the day in one piece! 2012 has gotten off to a flying start, with a tour of the major ports to inform you of SAMSA s requirements for the correct reporting and investigation of accidents and serious injuries. It was a great opportunity to touch bases with you again and to meet representatives from the ship repair industry. Stevedore and ship repair safety inspections onboard vessels have recommenced. Some things just don t seem to change, like stevedores working near open hatches without any fall prevention equipment in place! Whilst on the ship repair side, there was some surprise to see SAMSA representatives checking on occupational safety issues. We like to keep you on your toes, so expect us more often! In keeping with the results from 2011, there have been no onboard fatalities in either the stevedore or ship repair industries to date. One stevedore was seriously injured during the discharge of pipes and several minor injuries to stevedores were reported. No reports from the ship repair industry have been received. The project to try and identify occupational diseases in the stevedore and ship repair industries kicked off in February. I m very excited to see the results of this study as the health hazards of one s working environment are always difficult to detect. To both the stevedore and ship repair industries keep up the good work! Regards Kirsty Goodwin 2

4 Stevedore & Ship Repair Road Show: Accident Reporting & Investigation Attendees of the Durban workshop on 15/03/2012 Attendees of the Port Elizabeth workshop on 27/03/2012 As I am sure you are aware by this stage, I am constantly bemoaning the fact that accidents are not being reported to SAMSA and when they are reported, they are often late, on the incorrect forms with incorrect or missing information. The quality of some of some investigations is abysmal if they are done at all. When to report Who to and what to report immediately Forms to be completed Investigating the accident or serious injury SAMSA s responsibilities Case studies of accidents occuring in the stevedore and ship repair industries With this in mind, SAMSA conducted a road show in March to notify you of exactly what SAMSA s requirements are in terms of reporting and investigating accidents and serious injuries. It was an opportunity for you to ask any questions you had as well as to clear up any grey areas i.e. the Department of Labour / SAMSA issue. In brief the workshop focused on: Legislative requirements for reporting accidents and serious injuries Your responsibilities in the event of an accident or serious injury What accidents and serious injuries to report Workshops were held as follows: Richards Bay, Tuesday 14th March 2012 Durban, Wednesday 15 th March 2012 Port Elizabeth, Tuesday 27 th March 2012 Cape Town, 29 th March 2012 A big thank you to those of you that took the time to attend - I hope you found the workshops informative and the gifts useful. The attendance at each of the workshops was more than anticipated. Debate, sparked off by the case studies at some of the workshops was both thought-provoking and educational. The last time a road show was conducted was in 3

5 Stevedore & Ship Repair Road Show: Accident Reporting & Investigation (Continued from previous page) March 2007 and it focused only on the stevedore industry. Since then ship repair occupational health and safety has been included in my portfolio and it was good to finally meet some of the role-players in this industry! It was also encouraging to see so many attendees from the Ships Agencies. If you would like copies of the presentations, in PDF format, you are welcome to contact me and I will them to you, or if you would like me to repeat the workshop for the benefit of your company, please contact me to discuss this further. Attendees of the Cape Town workshop on 29/03/2012 Contact details are , or kgoodwin@sama.org.za. Stevedore and Ship Repair: Occupational Diseases Research Project By now you would have received notifications informing you that SAMSA has embarked on a project to research occupational diseases that may affect workers in the stevedore and ship repair industries. I am very excited about this project as it is a first of its kind in South Africa. The study will probably confirm what is already suspected, but at least the study will raise awareness of what health hazards workers in these industries are exposed to and what precautions can be implemented to reduce the risk. Thank you to those companies that took the time to complete and return the questionnaire. I shall be using the information supplied to notify doctors/ nurses performing medical examinations on workers in these two industries as well as labour brokers. Once doctors/nurses have been informed of the study, they will shortly thereafter be contacted by representatives from UKZN for further information. The project is expected to be completed by December this year, after which I shall communicate the results to you. 4

6 HIV/Aids Awareness It was great to receive positive feedback from stevedore company DP World, who invited SAMSA s Safety and Welfare Officer, Nolundi Dubase to give a seminar on HIV/Aids awareness at their premises in Cape Town, in August last year. Nolundi can be contacted at the SAMSA branch in Cape Town should you wish her to conduct workshops on HIV/ Aids awareness for your staff. The contact number is DP World employees receiving SAMSA HIV/Aids awareness packs. Thank You Thanks to those of you who have submitted reports and photographs for inclusion in the newsletter. The photographs, particularly, help to set the scene. 5

7 Stevedoring Stevedoring casualties As at 01/07/2011 to 31/06/ At Durban, on 19/09/2011 at 13h30 whilst hooking up a 20ft container for discharge from under deck, a stevedore stepped backwards off a two high container stow. She was admitted to hospital and treated for bruising to her back and chest. Learning points Be aware of your surroundings. 2. At Saldanha on 30/12/2011 a stevedore slipped and fell approximately 4 metres down a vertical access ladder while exiting the hold where she had been working. She suffered injury to her right foot and later it became evident that she has injured a nerve in her neck. Investigations by the stevedore company revealed portable lighting had been removed prior to stevedores exiting the hold as the vessel wanted to depart and stevedores were under pressure to complete lashing the cargo. Learning points Insist on proper lighting. The vessel has a responsibility to supply adequate lighting. Platform onto which stevedore Vertical access landed after falling from the vertical ladder from which access ladder. stevedore fell. Learning points Prior to discharging any cargo, the correct weight of the cargo must be ascertained so that lifting gear with the appropriate safe working load can be utilised. Stand in a safe position when working near suspended loads. Please see SAMSA Marine Notice No 14 of 2012: Discharging of Steel Pipes. 3. At Durban on 02/05/2012 stevedores were discharging unbundled steel pipes from no. 3 hold. The lifting wire which had been used to lift the edges of the loose pipes so that lifting gear could be attached, parted, causing the suspended pipes to roll. The Stevedore Foreman assisting in the operation was pinned by two of the rolling pipes. He sustained serious injuries to his left lower leg. Photograph showing the unbundled pipes stevedores were attempting to attach gear to. 6

8 Minor Injuries 1. In Durban on 20/08/2011, whilst a crane operator was descending the crane ladder he slipped and sprained his ankle. fell between the stow and the bulkhead. This stevedore was very lucky to only escape with minor injuries! 2. In Durban on 15/09/2011, a stevedore slipped on a step in the hold and injured her shoulder. 3. In Durban on 17/04/2012, whilst positioning steel profiles, a stevedore tripped over bundle wire and 4. In Durban on 27/06/2012, a stevedore was walking on the tween deck of a reefer vessel when the wooden deck collapsed under him. He sustained bruising to his right hip and leg. Photo showing defective deck. Photo showing the stow which stevedore fell from when she tripped over a bundle wire 7

9 Ships Lifting Appliances and Lifting Gear 1. In Durban on 15/07/2011 stevedores, using a floating crane, attempting to load a 110 ton mining truck from the quayside onboard. Whilst doing so, lifting gear chains parted, causing the truck to drop onto the deck of the floating crane. Learning points: Careful planning and risk assessment should be carried out prior to handling heavy lifts. Use lifting gear with the appropriate safe working load. Accident involving the failure of lifting gear must be reported to SAMSA, please see the definition of an accident (h) the failure of any lashing-wire, chain or appliance Merchant Shipping Act, At Richards Bay on 20/03/2012 whilst loading granite blocks into no. 1 hold, stevedores dropped a block weighing approximately 9mt. No-one was injured however extensive damage was caused to the double bottom of no. 1 cargo hold. There have been several instances where stevedore companies, in various ports, have contacted SAMSA to report defective cranes. SAMSA have sent surveyors to the vessel concerned and confirmed that cranes were defective. In each case reported, Prohibition Notices were issued to the master, prohibiting the use of the cranes until such time as they had been found to be safe for use. Well done to the stevedore company s concerned for taking the matter up with the Authorities and possibly averting an accident. SAMSA understand that when stevedore companies report defective cranes, this is often at the risk of losing repeat business. SAMSA consider this type of behaviour as irresponsible. Please consider the possible catastrophe a defective crane can cause should it remain in use. Mining truck being lifted onboard the floating crane. 8

10 Ships lifting appliances and lifting gear (Continued from previous page) The photograph shown above is a stark reminder of what can happen when defective cranes are used. This accident occurred in Durban several years ago. The crane operator was killed and several workers on the quay were severely traumatised when the jib with two steel coils attached landed nearby. This accident could have been even more disastrous had the jib been over the hold at the time where several stevedores were hooking up cargo, when the crane pedestal failed. As I do in every newsletter, I encourage you to ensure the following: Ensure that crane operators are competent and experienced. Check that crane operators hired from labour brokers have the required certificates and experience in the maritime environment. Ensure that crane operators conduct safety checks on the crane prior to shift commencement and report any problems to the ship s crew. Request to see the ships chain register to check when quadrennial/cinquennial thorough examinations and annual inspections have been conducted. Should the vessel not be able to provide the register for inspection, DO NOT operate the cranes, until they are able to do so. You are also advised to report this to SAMSA. Supervisors should regularly check that crane operators are not handling cargo dangerously, operating too fast, recklessly or shock loading. DO NOT USE CRANES THAT ARE DEFECTIVE. DO NOT BE PRESSURIZED INTO OPERATING DEFECTIVE CRANES. REPORT THE FAILURE OF SHIPS GEAR TO SAMSA 9

11 Stevedore Accidents Abroad Many thanks to to ICHCA International Safety Panel members for information received on several accidents that have taken place onboard and on the quayside abroad. I don t have all the details on these accidents; however they highlight how important it is to take all the necessary precautions when working near moving equipment and suspended loads. Please take note of these tragedies so we can avoid similar accidents. yourbayareanews.com reported that in Houston on 6 th December 2011, a port worker was killed when he was struck by a rubber tyre gantry whilst he was walking toward an amenities building at Barbour s Cut Container Terminal The Courier Mail, in Queensland, Australia reported that on 20th December 2011, a Port of Brisbane worker was fatally injured when a heavy crate fell on top of him during a transfer from a ship to a barge. It is believed that a hook connected to the crate had a faulty spring, preventing secure locking. The Inquirer News reported that on 02/01/2012 in Manila, Philippines police had arrested a Vietnamese ships crane operator in connection with the death of a marine surveyor. The crane operator had been lifting a hatch cover which struck the surveyor fatally injuring him. The Grimsby Telegraph reported that on 27/01/2012 a worker onboard a vessel berthed at the Immingham Docks was fatally injured when he was engulfed by coal. It was reported that on 11/02/2012 a dockworker working on Mataufu Wharf at Apia, Samoa, was crushed to death by a container. He was believed to have been asleep on the wharf when the container was lowered onto him. It was reported that on 23 or 24/02/2012 a stevedore when removing twistlocks from a suspended container was fatally crushed between the suspended container and a stowed container in the Port of Newark Container Terminal. 10

12 Statistical Overview 01/11 06/11 07/11 12/11 Port Serious Injuries Fatal Serious Injuries Fatal RBY DBN EL PLZ CTN SLD TTL /11 12/11 01/12 06/12 Port Serious Injuries Fatal Serious Injuries Fatal RBY DBN EL PLZ CTN SLD TTL As mentioned in my introduction, there were NO STEVEDORE FATALITIES onboard any vessels in South Africa in I don t have enough words to express how pleased I am at this achievement. A big round of applause for all the effort that went into obtaining this result! It would appear that serious injuries also decreased in the second part of 2011, this too is an excellent result. However in comparison to 2010 the number of serious injuries stayed the same. In 2012 I hope that your objective is to focus on the small incidents to avoid the serious ones! As usual, containers and steel are the cause of most serious injuries to stevedores. The main cause of serious injuries is falling off cargo stows, mainly containers. Incredibly, walking backwards off containers appears to be the new mode of injuring oneself. Even more incredible is how lightly these stevedores got off in terms of injury! To my mind this can only be the result of using inexperienced and untrained workers. Lastly, two serious injuries resulted from falling from vertical access ladders The first six months of 2012 have gone by quite uneventfully apart from one serious injury that occurred involving the discharge of steel pipes. In the last few years, there have been several stevedores injured whilst discharging pipes. This is an extremely dangerous cargo to handle and I advise you to conduct thorough risk assessments prior to commencing discharge operations. Marine Notice 14 of 2012 Discharge of Steel Pipes was recently published to highlight the dangers of this operation. If you did not receive it, you can find it on the SAMSA website under Marine Notices. 11

13 Stevedore Inspections Possible height from which Stevedore Signaller could fall. Stevedore Signaller no guarding or safety harness. Stevedores loading cargo on the forward hatch cover no guarding! Discharging under deck containers - no guarding! Stevedores seemingly unaware of the danger they are in. 12

14 Stevedore Inspections (Continued from previous page) Unguarded Holds Same problem different ship, different day! I have been out and about on my stevedore safety inspections again and I am totally astonished by the number of times I have come across stevedores working next to open holds with no fall prevention equipment or guarding. It seems some Stevedore Foremen do not perceive this to be dangerous. Stevedores allow themselves to work in an unsafe position why? Do they not understand the danger they are putting themselves in or are they too afraid of the consequences for asking for safer working conditions? Either way, it is an indication of poor supervision and safety training. If the vessel s crew refuse to rig fencing, you are within your rights to stop operating until this has been rectified. If these instructions are not complied with you may contact SAMSA for assistance. Your attention is drawn to the Maritime Occupational Safety Regulations, 1994: Guardrails 25. (1) Every employer shall ensure that any opening, open hatchway or dangerous edge into, through, or over which a person may fall is fitted with secure guardrails or fencing of adequate design and construction to prevent such occurrence, except where the installation of such guardrails or fencing will interfere with the proper performance of work. Signaller standing inside the fencing! Stevedore Maritime Occupational Safety Regulations Compliance Audits I have been able to audit stevedore companies in Port Elizabeth and Durban and will be looking to Richards Bay, East London and Saldanha next, to set up audits. I have noticed a marked improvement in some companies audit results, with two companies in Durban obtaining a deficiency free audit good work! In general, areas needing improvement are risk assessments and safety training. Disappointingly, even after the effort and expense that went into the recent SAMSA Road Show, there were several companies that could not show me the applicable safety legislation and had not investigated serious injuries shame on you! We have to do better than this people s lives are at risk! With better supervision and improved safety training this problem will cease to exist! 13

15 Ship Repair and Maintenance Ship Repair Casualties In 2011 there was one serious injury recorded whereby at Richards Bay on 01/05/2011, a welder fell through the space between the coaming and the open hatch cover. The previous edition of the newsletter has the full details on this accident. Minor Injuries At Durban on 17/08/2011, a worker was exiting staging in no. 2 cargo hold when he slipped and fell to the level below. He sustained bruising to his lower back. Both the above accidents involved falling. After the road show, once the industry is more informed on what accidents to report, it will be interesting to see if working at heights is still the main cause of accidents in the ship repair industry. Audits I have only had an opportunity to audit one ship repair company to date, I will be in touch soon to arrange a time and date to audit you. Inspections Several inspections on ships under repair have been conducted recently. Although more of an observation exercise, than official inspection, I would like to bring the following to your attention: Workers conducting general work onboard must wear hard hats and reflective vests When working at heights, the appropriate fall prevention equipment must be utilised Openings must be guarded Spray painters should be wearing the appropriate respiratory protection; scarves worn across the nose and mouth are not acceptable. The tags on scaffolding must be legible Hand Arm Vibration I recently attended an interesting talk on hand arm vibration (HAV) which comes from the use of hand held power tools and can cause significant health problems if precautionary measures are not implemented. I could not help but think of the many different hand held power tools that are used in the ship repair industry and what impact this may be having on the users of these tools. 14

16 Ship Repair and Maintenance (Continued from previous page) Tools that can cause HAV are sanders, grinders, disc cutters; hammer drills, chipping hammers. The results of using these tools continuously can be tingling and numbness in the fingers (which can cause sleep disturbance). Not being able to feel things with your fingers, loss of strength in your hands and the tips of your fingers going white. Currently, there are no standards or legislation in South Africa that deal with this issue, apart from the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993, Environmental Regulation 2 Thermal Requirements (3), which states that, where hand held tools which vibrate at a frequency of vibration less than 1000hz are used at an actual dry-bulb temperature below 6 c, the employer shall provide an employee operating such tool with lined gloves, and ensure that he wears them. The issue of HAV may well be an outcome of the Occupational Diseases Research Project currently being conducted by SAMSA and UKZN, however, in the meantime, if you are interested in the subject and would like to read up on it, you are directed to the following website: hav/index.htm Ship Repair Accidents Abroad I found several references on the internet to an accident that occurred in a ship yard in the Philippines. On 08/10/2011, six workers were killed when the elevated ramp of a car carrier gave way. It was not clearly reported exactly how this tragedy occurred but it is believed that there was inadequate safety controls in place because of pressure to finish the repair work. 15

17 Author Contact Details Kirsty Goodwin Tel: Fax: