Completed PE Summary

Conquest

Category Merchant vessels
Registered Owner & Manager: Mainstream Scotland Ltd
Port of registry: Unregistered
Type: Workboat - Aquaculture well boat
Built: 1987
Classification society: N/A
Construction: Steel
Length overall: 18.95m
Gross tonnage: 74
Date & Time 19 March 2007, app. 1545 UTC
Location of incident: Olna Firth, Shetland
Incident Type: Fatality
Persons onboard: 5
Injuries/ fatalities: 1 death
Damage/ Pollution: N/A

Synopsis

A crewman fell overboard, with no lifejacket on, whilst the vessel was on passage from a fish farm to the harbour. It was only after the vessel moored up alongside that the crew realised one of their number was missing. After searching the vessel unsuccessfully, a boat was taken into the Firth, where the missing crewman’s body was discovered, some thirty minutes after being last seen onboard.

Guard rails on the vessel’s working deck were found to have two large gaps in them, to assist harvesting and discharge operations, with no means of closure; it is highly probable this is where the man fell overboard.

Action taken:

As a result of the accident the Mainstream Scotland has closed one guard rail permanently and fitted a means of closing the other gap when it is not in use. Additionally, the company is in discussions with external providers of Health and Safety services to:

  • carry out an assessment of existing Health & Safety policies and training.

  • produce both site and vessel specific risk assessments, rather than the current generic assessments

  • The Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents has written to Mainstream Scotland strongly advising that, in addition to the above actions:

  • as part of their risk assessments consider supplying all crewmen with man overboard notification devices, which are now readily available from various suppliers;

  • consider providing a means of protecting personnel working near the vessel’s well hatchway whilst handling fish.