Seafarer Deaths within the Irish Sea

Our Ref: HSR/1/2
Head Office Circular: NP/433/21
26th November 2021
To: The Secretary
ALL BRANCHES
ALL SHIPPING BRANCHES
REGIONAL COUNCILS

Dear Colleague,

SEAFARER DEATHS WITHIN THE IRISH SEA

Further to Head Office Circular NP/327/21, dated 27th August 2021, the MAIB has published its bulletin on the bosun killed during cargo loading on Seatruck’s Clipper Pennant in Bootle on 20 July:

https://www.gov.uk/maib-reports/safety-warning-about-crushing-injuries-in-stowage-spaces-after-the-loss-of-1-life-on-ro-ro-ferry-clipper-pennant

The key points in this bulletin for members to bear in mind are as follows:

Where tractor units are being used to push semi-trailers, safety procedures must be in place to ensure that deck crew are not standing in the vehicle’s path.

Operators of vessels with roll-on roll-of vehicle decks are advised to:

● Review their cargo handling procedures to identify the hazards associated with stowage spaces where there may be limited areas for escape

● Conduct a specific risk assessment for all such spaces. These spaces should then be marked and, unless appropriate mitigating measures can be put in place, not used

● Ensure that onboard safety procedures and crew safety briefings reflect the guidance in COSWP Section 27.6.3.

Your National Executive Committee, at its meeting on 25th November, noted and adopted the following report from its Sub-committee:

We note the bulletin on file from MAIB.

The General Secretary is instructed to raise our concerns with the parliamentary group, seeking a meeting with shadow shipping minister on this issue and to organise a meeting of MPs covering Irish Sea ports to discuss our concerns as per the previous report from the National Secretary.

The General Secretary is also instructed to share the key recommendations of the bulletin with members and to urge members to report to the union any concerns about potential dangers union before any such future incident occurs; also, to conduct surveys of both seafarers and shore-side maritime members seeking first-hand information from them about safety procedures (and lack of them) in the Irish Sea.

The General Secretary is further instructed to merge the file “Sea Truck” into this file.

Branches and Regional Councils to be advised

I am acting in accordance with this instruction and will keep you advised of developments. As per the above decision, I urge members to report to the union any concerns about potential dangers union before any such future incident occurs

Yours sincerely

Michael Lynch
General Secretary