Loss Prevention Advice
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The Nautical Institute draws lessons learned from an incident where a bosun was crushed against a steel beam, causing his death.
A ro-ro vessel was in port and the vessel’s crew, assisted by shoreside tractor unit drivers, was loading semi-trailers onto the upper vehicle deck. The bosun, acting as a banksman [directing traffic], was marshalling a tractor unit as it pushed a semi-trailer into a tight corner stowage space. He positioned himself on a painted walkway at the rear of lane 21 to guide the trailer. The walkway was located inside the vehicle lane.
The tractor unit driver lost sight of the banksman as he was backing up, but, following a routine but unsafe workaround practice common at the port, continued the manoeuvre even after doing so. The driver assumed the bosun had moved to a safe position behind an adjacent trailer. However, the semi-trailer was at a slight angle, causing its rear to encroach upon the painted walkway where the bosun was standing. The bosun was trapped and crushed against a steel stiffening beam protruding from the vessel’s superstructure.
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Over the past week, 18-24 November, three incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia (two CAT 3 incidents and one CAT 4 incident).
Two of the incidents (one CAT 3 and one CAT 4) occurred while the ships were underway in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of the Singapore Strait (SS), and one incident (CAT 3) occurred at Belawan Anchorage, Indonesia. The crew members were safe in all three incidents. Ship stores and scrap metal were stolen in two incidents, and nothing was stolen in one incident.
Area of concern
With the two incidents reported in SS, a total of 102 incidents were reported in SOMS since January 2025. The ships shall to exercise enhanced vigilance when transiting SOMS and the littoral States to increase patrols and enforcement in these areas as well as at their ports and anchorages.
Situation of abduction of crew in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and waters off Eastern Sabah
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On 23 November, warned vessels to avoid an area 470 nm east of Socotra, Somalia, after a crude oil tanker reported a possible Pirate Action Group (PAG) dhow approaching while towing four skiffs.
A crude oil tanker, while sailing southbound in the Indian Ocean, 470 nm E of Socotra, reported a possible Pirate Action Group (PAG) dhow towing four skiffs, moving towards the vessel, decreasing the CPA to 1,5 nm at 11°34’ 7’’N / 062°28’ 7’’E at 02:00 UTC. When the dhow stopped, one skiff was boarded by a number of persons and commence sailing towards the vessel. The vessel increased the CPA, the PMSC team monitoring the situation from the bridge and the skiff altered course seemingly aborting any further approach.
Vessel and crew are safe and continue sailing to the next port of call.
The area is associated with elevated risk of organized Pirate Action Group activity.
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Shipyards are singular industrial environments, combining the hazards of heavy construction, manufacturing, and complex marine operations into one sprawling, high-stakes location. For any vessel owner, operator, or contractor, the yard represents a necessary but incredibly risky location. The complex nature of repair, maintenance, and construction, often conducted under tight deadlines, elevates the potential for catastrophic accidents.
A shipyard is a constantly evolving workspace. One moment, a section of the hull is being pre-fabricated in a clean workshop; the next, it is being hoisted by cranes over active work zones to be welded into place many meters above the dry dock floor. This dynamic, multi-hazard environment necessitates a safety culture that is not merely compliant, but proactively rigorous.