English to Portuguese Tech/Engineering Ships, Sailing, Maritime segurança

Next, the rigger had to get into the basket to connect the shackle to the plate but it would have been safer to get out of it to connect the sling to the crane. That way he would have stayed out of the line of fire. He also failed to keep his eye on the plate when he was connecting the sling to the crane.

In addition to all that, correct procedures weren’t followed. The deck Foreman had told the ADF to use the forklift to move the plate out of the basket, but the ADF decided to use the crane instead. The weather was good but still the crane block swung. That wouldn’t have happened if they’d used the forklift.

And the final cause was that there were other factors that contributed to the rigger’s lapse in concentration. He was on the last shift of his trip and it was also the last lift out of the basket. Ironically, on top of that, he’d been awarded the safety man of the week prize only a few hours before it happened. Put the three together and you have a possible recipe for overconfidence and a loss of focus.

Winds were light and there was a long, low swell as a Cargo Barge was being prepared for cast off. The operation went smoothly and, with the barge moored only by lines aft and forward, the 3 riggers on board, wearing the correct PPE and buoyancy aids, were ready to be taken off.

The port crane lowered a collapsible man-riding basket onto a clear landing area on the deck of the barge and the two tended taglines between the vessel and the basket were held taut.