Death of a Cadet

[ETwhat?]

While currently as sea my company has issued a bulletin regarding the death of a deck cadet, while the investigation is still undergoing I felt that a post would serve to highlight the need to be aware of your own personal safety.

The incident happened whilst working as part of a team and at an area of the ships side that had no gaurdrails (under the lifeboat). At such times it is customary to think of the friends and families, however it is worth being slightly selfish and using this to make sure everyone else is aware of the risks.

Personally i've experienced conditions that would never be considered aceptable at college and i think that more emphasis should be placed with crew to work safely with cadets, rather than just gettting the job done.

[stronglead]

It is sad to hear of this it is not something you would think would happen when heading out to a ship as a cadet I would guess

[dawg]

Some companies more obsessed with safety than others, but even the most comprehensive safety system can't prevent a momentary rush of youthful eagerness to prove yourself or a sympathetic eagerness on behalf of ABs to support that... it only takes a misunderstanding or miscommunication for something to suddenly happen.
Even superintendents are capable of leaving their hand on the shunt post waiting for the lifeboat rest to come swinging down and crush it (that's allegedly a real incident btw).
I myself have had some difficulties understanding the body language (the gestures) of some foreign shipmates in the noisy engine room (and put my thumb in the wrong place this morning, with only a neat but light score across the thumbnail, no damage done), and I've also been a little gung ho unhooking a lifeboat thing once... cadets, by definition, don't and can't appreciate most of the risks around them, but you also can't learn without experience of them: an expert is someone who has made a lot more mistakes than the average person. It's a balancing act, and ultimately with everything,life becomes a lot simpler when you start accepting that everything that happens that affects you is your own fault: it empowers you to do something about it yourself, and helps you learn from what you experience.

Don't obsess over MAIB reports, but do talk to (or "grill") experienced crew before you start a job, and don't do anything unless you honestly believe you understand what's going on, regardless of what abuse you might get... as Clint Eastwood put it once... "dyin' ain't much of a livin'".

[size4riggerboots]

Do you have a link to the MAIB report ETWhat? (Or any article on it)

[ETwhat?]

I had a look on the MAIB site and didnt find anything. At the moment the only information i have is the company safety bulletin that has been issued to the ship, I will add that it wasnt one of the companies vessels they are just using it as an example to reinforce the need for care.

I agree with Dawg that you can be too hooked up on safety, however knowing that a cadet isnt as familiar with limits and may rush in should be considered.

[size4riggerboots]

I'd be interested to have a read if one does pop up. I agree that you can be too hooked up on safety, but that doesn't mean that reading MAIB reports and the like is a waste of time, I've often had a browse of whatever safety digest I have found hanging around the smoke room, and the same scenarios come up again and again. Don't obsess, but do absorb!!!

[Dosedmonkey]

The college should inform you discreetly when they do find out what happened, and I expect it will be in Nautlis, to try and prevent the same re-occuring.

There is a considerable amount of injuries at sea, but with the new safety culture that is still improving, they are dropping. One thing we do need to be careful of is, not relying on paperwork, its all good and well having paper work permits and paper risk assessments. But you need to be doing risk assessments in your head, thinking "its rough weather, is now the safesty time for a shower", or I'm going to go down in a space not used by people usually, do I need to inform someone, bring someone with me, or even if it is not classed as a confined space, a compartment not frequently accessed it might be worth having a oxygen meter as an extra precuation. It can be as simple as, when I pull on this spanner, where is it, and me, going to land if i slip, do i need a harness, or to do it differently. You need to constantly think of the risks, and look after yourself, and others will try to help when they can fore-see a situation also.

When I was at college a guy I knew on the deck side had a nasty fatal accident to, so I have complete sympathy and condolences with this persons family and friends.