Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation has issued investigation report on the fatal accident that happened onboard the MV SILVER PEGASUS in the port of Brake on 20 September 2014.
The incident
On the morning of 20 September 2014, the MV SILVER PEGASUS, sailing under the flag of Panama, was moored in the port of Brake to discharge her cargo of soybean meal. When cargo hold 3 (CH3) was empty, the watch keeping second officer climbed down its ladder to check the compartment.
At about 0030, the able bodied seamen called the second officer on VHF but did not receive an answer. As a consequence of that, they looked down into the cargo hold and saw him lying there on the floor.
One able bodied seaman climbed down to provide first aid and the other went to the super structure to inform the ship’s command. The ship’s command called an ambulance, which took the casualty to a hospital. Despite every effort made, the second officer passed away on the same evening.
Safety recommendations
Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation recommends that
- the ship’s command of the SILVER PEGASUS instruct its crew to use only the spiral steps when entering cargo holds
- the owner of the SILVER PEGASUS consider installing personal fall protection equipment on the cargo hold ladders to arrest a fall
- the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure advises that the International Maritime Organization to check whether the SOLAS convention should be amended by a requirement to use a personal fall arrest system on entering an empty cargo hold when a certain height is reached
Further information may be found by reading the investigation report below
Source: BSU