Rescue boat drills are essential for emergency preparedness, but they also remain one of the most hazardous routine operations at sea, making strict adherence to inspection and safety procedures critical.
an investigation into an uncontrolled rescue boat fall during a drill aboard a tanker, highlighting the serious risks associated with routine emergency preparedness exercises.
The accident occurred during a rescue boat launching drill when the boat suddenly descended after a hidden technical defect in the launching appliance’s winch-unit freewheel module (one-way clutch) caused it to fail. The defect, linked to corrosion from ambient air and moisture inside the winch, resulted in three crew members being injured.
The findings serve as a stark reminder that, while rescue boat drills are vital for maintaining emergency response readiness, they remain among the most hazardous operations carried out on board.
Echoing the report’s conclusions, Japan P&I Club warned that failing to carry out pre-inspection routines and follow the safety procedures set out in a vessel’s Safety Management System (SMS) can have serious consequences.
The Club stressed that any deviation from established procedures during rescue boat drills significantly increases the risk of falls and serious injury.
Key preventative measures
Thorough open-up inspections and planned maintenance of launching appliance internal mechanisms (recognising the limitations of visual inspections):
Internal deterioration, such as corrosion and seizure within the winch (including the freewheel and braking mechanisms)—the root cause of this accident—cannot be detected solely through routine visual inspections or external greasing. Recognising the inherent limitations of visual inspections, it is essential to establish and strengthen a maintenance management system that ensures periodic open-up inspections in accordance with the manufacturer’s instruction manual and thorough verification of internal conditions.
Understanding structural risks and timely component replacement:
It is vital to firmly recognise that even equipment that has passed annual inspections may harbour hidden technical defects arising from internal design structures. Preventive maintenance must be strictly implemented to ensure the planned replacement of critical internal components, such as seals and bearings, based on service life and harsh operating environments in accordance with manufacturer recommendations.
Safeguard of human life assuming potential machinery failures (strict adherence to pre-inspection and operational verification procedures under the SMS):
Based on the premise that unseen defects may exist within machinery, it is required to strictly adhere to the pre-inspection routines and operational verification procedures specified in each management company’s SMS without omitting them at site discretion, thereby eliminating risks to human life, such as lowering the boat with crew onboard before verifying the safe operation of the equipment.
Conducting risk assessments and sharing technical insights at Shipboard Safety Committee meetings:
Prior to commencing operations such as rescue boat drills, a proper risk assessment must be conducted to assume the worst-case hazard of internal machinery failures, and the identified risks must be shared during Toolbox Meetings. Furthermore, sharing incident cases involving hidden technical defects during Shipboard Safety Committee meetings will enhance overall onboard safety awareness and draw attention to potential machinery risks.