Working at height is a high-risk activity that requires an industry-standard permit. The number of incidents involving working at height is not decreasing, and Flag States and management companies are strongly encouraged to focus on this aspect of superyacht safety.
The requirements are straightforward: working at height is only allowed if a risk assessment has been carried out and a permit to work is thoroughly completed.
A permit to work at height requires that safety equipment, including PPE, be thoroughly checked. It also requires the crew to be adequately trained and supervised. Completing it is not a tick-box exercise and requires considered thought. All stages of the permit need to be answered, especially by the crew carrying out the work. The crew must be empowered to stop the work if the permit has not been completed properly.
The carabiner rail to which the line from the harness was attached must be inspected and form part of regular maintenance inspections. The gap in the track system would be apparent to see if it was properly inspected. Inspections of the carabiner rail must form part of regular maintenance checks. In this case, the rail should have been taken out of service until it was repaired.
CHIRP highlights the design of these frequently used safety rails, which require extensive maintenance due to their many moving parts. Retrofitted rail connections may not be as strongly connected to the superstructure as those fitted the new building stage. CHIRP recommends that the class attend to advise on superstructure connections for retrofitted rails.
All parts of the safety harness must be secured entirely; no buckles or straps must be left undone, as all parts of the harness play a part in absorbing the body weight in the event of a fall. The safety line or lanyard must be connected to the safety ring at the back of the harness and not on the front due to the possibility of severe spinal injury in the event of a fall.
Crucially, there must always be a rescue plan to retrieve anyone who has fallen while wearing a safety harness. The time to recover a fallen crew member suspended in a harness should be at most 15 minutes, as blood circulation will be seriously affected and could be lethal.
