201922 Grease bucket lands on head

Crew members were assigned to grease the crane hoist wire. Two crew went up the crane post to make the necessary preparations while another made fast the 5-litre grease bucket to a heaving line. When ready, the bucket was heaved up manually by one of the crew aloft. While raising the bucket, the heaving line parted and the grease bucket fell, hitting the crew member’s head on its way down.

Luckily the victim was wearing a safety helmet, but he nonetheless suffered severe neck and head pain and was later signed off for further medical attention ashore.

Lessons learned

• Never place yourself under a lift, no matter how small. Small objects falling from height can still be dangerous. (See MARS 201835 for an interesting chart of weight dropped/height versus consequences.)
• Using heaving lines to lift small loads may be a common practice, but it is not entirely appropriate. A dedicated ‘light-load’ line with a known SWL and in good condition should be used in order to reduce risks, as in this accident.