The Department of Transport has issued a reminder to fishing vessel owners, skippers and crew of the safety requirements for the use of cranes and other lifting equipment on deck.

In comes after a recent Marine Casualty Invesigation Board (MCIB) report into an incident on the fishing vessel Aquila off the Co Cork coast in late 2021.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, a crew member from the Philippines sustained crush injuries on the afternoon of 7 November 2021 when the vessel’s crane malfunctioned due to a loss of fluid from the main jib’s hydraulic cylinder.

MCIB investigators found that an adequate risk assessment was not made when the crane was first installed on the vessel. In addition, the crane operator’s elevated control position did not have a clear view of the crane’s workings.

Fishing vessel owners, employers and crew members are being reminded of the obligation to complete and document a thorough risk assessment of their operations in compliance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General application) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 299 of 2007), as amended by the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) (Amendment) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 732 of 2007), the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. No. 2 of 2020) and the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2021 (S.I. No. 619 of 2021).

Of note is Chapter 2 of Part 2: Use of Work Equipment, especially the examination and testing of lifting equipment, having a safe system of work and maintaining accurate and complete up to date maintenance records and registers of lifting equipment onboard. See also the Guide to the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 published by the Health and Safety Authority.

Particular consideration should be given to the hazards associated with the operation of articulated deck cranes in deck areas presenting restricted observation of working areas and/or risk of collision with structural obstacles within the cranes lifting area.

Employers, skippers and crew members of fishing vessels are also reminded of the requirement for training for the operation of cranes, that crews should be made aware of the hazards associated with lifting equipment and heavy loads operating overhead, reminding them that cranes should be operated by trained and competent persons and reminding them that appropriate risk assessments are carried out prior to crane deck operations.

For more details, see Marine Notice No 24 of 2024 attached below.