Lifeboat Drill Goes Awry; One Crew Member Killed
Posted by proforma on August 31, 2009
A fatality occured recently on a Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) during a planned lifeboat drill.
The MODU was conducting routine testing of its lifeboats and equipment as required by regulation and launched its starboard lifeboat with a crew of seven. During recover of the lifeboat at the end of the drill, the aft hook opened, the boat swung onto its forward hook, which then failed, plunging the lifeboat and its occupants 65 feet into the sea. One crew member died and the remaining six sustained injuries.
Among the causes, it was determined that critical components of the system had deteriorated with age and use and the On-Load release system was not fully understood. For details, read the IADC report.
Tags:accident, fatality, offshore GOM, safety, Workplace Safety
Filed Under: Workplace Safety
