Harmony of the Seas - September 2016

On 13 September 2016 at Marseille, an abandon ship drill planned for a part of the crewmembers of the cruise ship HARMONY OF THE SEAS was organised with the 9 port lifeboats. When lifeboat 14 was ready to be lowered with five men on board, the operator in position on deck 5 released the lowering winch brake. The lifeboat was then suddenly destabilized and felt into the sea. Soon after, a rescue party intervened and assessed that one of the sailors was unconscious and that the four others were injured.

On 13 September 2016 at Marseille, an abandon ship drill planned for a part of the crewmembers of the cruise ship HARMONY OF THE SEAS was organised with the 9 port lifeboats.
When lifeboat 14 was ready to be lowered with five men on board, the operator in position on deck 5 released the lowering winch brake. The lifeboat was then suddenly destabilized and felt into the sea. Soon after, a rescue party intervened and assessed that one of the sailors was unconscious and that the four others were injured.
The accident occurred at the beginning of the procedure of a lifeboat launching drill;

It emerges from this analysis that the lifeboat preparation procedure which was applicable before the accident did not constitute any unnecessary risk-taking, within the meaning of MSC1206. Page 48 sur 72
However four factors contributed to the accident:
1. Unclear division of roles in the mind of the preparation team sailors;
2. Absence of a cross-check step allowing to identify an omission;
3. Absence of a lifeboat gravity launching mechanical prevention device while the removable lashing gripe is not in vertical position;
4. Inefficiency of the forward and aft stop pawls, when the lifeboat is subjected to brutal movements and to a heavy trip angle.

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