Web Alert: A brush with catastrophe

The Standard Club has been working with the Confidential Hazardous Incident Reporting Programme (CHIRP) for over two years to promote safety at sea and accident prevention, through the creation of video bulletins highlighting hazardous incidents and giving advice for minimising the risks.

The latest video features a shocking scene, in which a crew member is painting the side of the ship hanging on to an accommodation ladder with one hand while stretching out a long-handled brush with the other, and without any PPE.

While this may be an extreme example, it does raise an important reminder for crews to review their procedures for carrying out repairs on board.

The video is available on youtube here and also via facebook. Read more on the other bulletins in the series here.

These safety bulletins rely on reports to be submitted to CHIRP from all sectors of the maritime industry. Reports can be submitted confidentially at reports@chirp.co.uk.

The case studies and lessons learnt from submissions are published in their quarterly bulletin Maritime Feedback in both written and video form. The reports are also investigated with the ship’s owner and can be used to escalate problems to people who can make a difference, such as naval architects, classification societies and flag state authorities.