Safety recommendations have been made following a fatal injury to a deckhand on a Newhaven dredger

On the night of 6 October 2023, a chain link in the lifting arrangement for the dredging gear that was suspended from the raised port derrick on the dredger failed. The gear fell without warning and struck a deckhand working on the deck below; the deckhand suffered serious head injuries and died on board.

The configuration of a chain led over a static pin as part of the quick-release gear for the lifting arrangement is commonly used on board scallop dredgers and beam trawlers. Such arrangements are known to have failed previously: in February 2021, a similar chain arrangement parted on board the beam trawler Cornishman (PZ512) causing the death of a deckhand.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published a Safety Bulletin detailing serious concerns about failures of chains in quick-release gear on fishing vessels. Recommendations have been made to owners, operators and skippers of scallop dredgers and beam trawlers and also to the Maritime Coastguard Agency.

Andrew Moll, Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents said: "This is the second death that the MAIB is investigating as a result of a chain comprising part of a quick-release system at the derrick head failing under load and allowing fishing gear to fall onto crew working on deck.

"Today, I am urging the owners and operators of beam and scallop trawlers to take note of the dangers highlighted in this safety bulletin, and to take immediate steps both to inspect their vessel’s quick-release arrangements and to make any changes necessary to the equipment or its operation to ensure the safety of crew working on deck."

The key safety issues identified were: The recent recorded accidents and failures of chain links leading over a static pin as part of a quick-release mechanism indicate the significant risk of such arrangements failing when loads are applied to the chains. These arrangements can induce complex loading forces in the chain links, leading to excessive wear on the chain links and significantly reducing the chain strength.

Also, the location of the chain links at the derrick head and the fact that the deterioration of the chain links may not be easily visible mean that it can be difficult to inspect and identify degradation of the quick-release arrangement.

The MAIB also listed the potential failure of chains used in this manner, presenting an unacceptable level of risk to crew members working on the deck below.

A recommendation (2024/101) has been made to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to conduct a focused inspection campaign on board UK scallop dredgers and beam trawlers fitted with derrick head quick-release mechanisms that incorporate chain to: raise awareness among skippers and crews of the significant hazards associated with the use of chain links passing over a static pin as part of the derrick head quick-release mechanism; confirm that the risk of a failure of the derrick head quick-release mechanism has been assessed, mitigated and documented by the owner, operator and/or skipper of the vessel; verify that the crew are informed of the findings of the risk assessment and the measures taken for their protection in the event of a failure of the derrick head quick-release mechanism.