Tug Aground-Sank Northern B.C.

[psneeld]

Reducing this a bit to the very basics of safety in the workplace. Even the best people make mistakes, have accidents. Good safety practices are designed to minimize the likelihood of those mistakes leading to accidents and provide protection against that. This may be done due to government regulations or just company policy. When an accident occurs then it's a combination of both human error and of a breakdown in following the company rules and practices. We develop safeguards knowing humans will make err.

Most accidents then are the result of human error and failure to use best practices to protect against those errors.

Please remember that the accident stats that say most accidents are human error go all the way to oversight (company and government), design issues (ergonomics, system, vessel, navigation, routing etc...etc...), input to operations.....including management, weather resources, manning for conditions, etc.....


Human error accounts for the vast majority of accidents...however it is not the crew on the water that is the issue for a huge number of human failures.

 

[BandB]

Please remember that the accident stats that say most accidents are human error go all the way to oversight (company and government), design issues (ergonomics, system, vessel, navigation, routing etc...etc...), input to operations.....including management, weather resources, manning for conditions, etc.....

Human error accounts for the vast majority of accidents...however it is not the crew on the water that is the issue for a huge number of human failures.

I totally agree. It's human error at any stage of the operation. It's either mistakes or a structured issue. It often requires error on the part of more than one person. I know of several tragedies at sea that fault goes to the captain but also to the company, to managers, to practices. Even cases like Costa Concordia where the captain's fault is very clear, he's been so widely persecuted but he's not the only one at fault. Others on the boat were, those who prepared the boat for sailing, those who encouraged and/or accepted certain practices. We often see the obvious and not the others. I think of it differently and think of what were the systemic weaknesses that allowed it to happen. It's not just the Captain failed, it's we failed as a company.

Most companies look at accident reports thinking what the employee did wrong. They should think of what they, the company, did wrong to allow the employee to get hurt. 90% are preventable.

 

[Al]

Hey Eric, rereading some of this thread and saw your earlier remark about too many people in Skagit Co. and nothing being done it about it. Just wondering if you had any suggestions on what do to about all these people, LOL!

rriving within the last five years:lol:

 

[78puget-trawler]

It does matter if slight of hand was used to fudge the manning. A pilot may not have made the difference but it could have lowered the odds.

In so many areas of life, when an "accident" happens, it is highly unlikely the behavior leading up to it was a first time occurrence.

Hey, maybe just a bad batch of chili took the second pair of eyes away.

Yes, but I am assuming the legal requirements were being met as regards manning. We still don't know the real cause yet. I would agree that its always better to have more eyes on watch.

 

[Ka_sea_ta]

I may be naive about commercial ship operation but I know when I set up up a route with my Furuno Nav system It sounds an alarm when I get off course. It would seem that a commercial vessel would have a much more sophisticated navigation system... Even with one watch stander an alarm going off would certainly get their attention..

 

[cappy208]

It would seem that a commercial vessel would have a much more sophisticated navigation system..

A 'type approved' with all the bells and whistles you describe us not required on a vessel as small as the NES. The requirement starts at 'vessels over 3000GT'.

Even with one watch stander an alarm going off would certainly get their attention..

. If the watchstander were alert and able to hear it. Since this type of 'Off Course Alarm' is not required in this case even if their computer plotter had it, it is not required to be on or even activated.

 

[Short Story Long]

That is an impressive crane. I am always a bit in awe of big equipment like that, both in its size and operation, but in the simple audacity of the folks who endeavored to design and build something so large.

Very late to the party. Thought I would share a couple things on the salvage of the Nathan Stuart. She was stuck on the rocks in a minus 10ft hole.
The pulling gear we used was 3" anchor chain 12 shots each way of derrick barge. Pulled up to 300ton to try to free here to no avail. Mother nature came to the rescue with some afternoon 10-12ft swell and popped her loose for us. Pulled her 1200ft to -40ft water to get out of shallow swells
A day earlier we recorded 3ea rogue swells @ 21ft Fun stuff to work in

 

[dhays]

Very late to the party. Thought I would share a couple things on the salvage of the Nathan Stuart. She was stuck on the rocks in a minus 10ft hole.
The pulling gear we used was 3" anchor chain 12 shots each way of derrick barge. Pulled up to 300ton to try to free here to no avail. Mother nature came to the rescue with some afternoon 10-12ft swell and popped her loose for us. Pulled her 1200ft to -40ft water to get out of shallow swells
A day earlier we recorded 3ea rogue swells @ 21ft Fun stuff to work in

Welcome to TF and thanks for sharing.

 

[Nightsky]

The insurance provider for my commercial fishing vessels required a "WatchAlarm" to be installed and operational. It was user programmable (by the master) for whatever time interval he/she felt was appropriate for the waters we worked in. I had mine set to 10 mins, after which time a loud, wake up the dead, squeal would ensue. The watchkeeper could not adjust the time or turn the WatchAlarm off as it was operated with a key, which I kept with me. The watchkeeper could only reset the alarm, which required getting up off the helm seat to do so. If the watchkeeper let that alarm go off he would catch hell from me. If it happened more than once, it was grounds for dismissal. YOu have to be able to trust the watchkeepers.

 

[Larry H]

Nightsky,

I set an alarm when operating my trawler if I feel drowsy. My iPhone has a countdown timer which I set to 5 min. The phone is on the dash near the helm. i usually reset the timer prior to the alarm sounding, but if i drowse, it will wake me. The time can be set to a suitable interval according to the operating conditions.

 

[Nightsky]

Nightsky,

I set an alarm when operating my trawler if I feel drowsy. My iPhone has a countdown timer which I set to 5 min. The phone is on the dash near the helm. i usually reset the timer prior to the alarm sounding, but if i drowse, it will wake me. The time can be set to a suitable interval according to the operating conditions.

Good safety precaution. I will be doing the same.