What happened
During a routine net cleaning operation at port, a young deckhand was tasked with spraying down the nets using a high-pressure hose. Without warning, the hose nozzle slipped from his grip and recoiled, striking him in the face. The deckhand had not been issued a face shield or goggles and was wearing only a cap and sunglasses for protection. He had been on the job less than two weeks and had not received any formal induction or safety briefing for net cleaning tasks. The skipper believed “common sense” was enough to avoid injury.
The deckhand later revealed that he hadn’t used that type of hose before and wasn’t confident with the pressure settings, but didn’t want to appear inexperienced in front of the rest of the crew. The job was handed to him quickly, without any supervision, during a busy turnaround. Unfortunately, what should have been a simple maintenance task turned into a painful and preventable accident that could have been avoided with just a few minutes of proper training and the right protective gear.
Tips and tools
All new crew must undergo a proper induction process aligned with the vessel’s Safety Management System and WHS requirements. Tasks involving high-pressure hoses must be risk-assessed, and all relevant PPE – such as face shields, gloves, and safety boots – must be provided and worn. According to AMSA regulations, duty holders must ensure safe systems of work, especially for new or young workers who may be unfamiliar with hazards. Training should be task-specific and include safe use of equipment. Incidents like this must be reported to AMSA, and the crew should undertake a review of procedures to prevent recurrence.
For more information on practical safety ideas from AMSA, click here.
Resources
- AMSA Incident report
- ASMA Risk Assessment Checklist, including understanding what could cause a hazard
- AMSA safety courses