Poor communication contributed to seafarer ventilation shaft death, MAIB finds

A report from the UK Maritime Accident Investigation Bureau (MAIB) into the death of a seafarer, who was killed by a 10m fall down a ventilation shaft, has found that poor communication and poor safety practices onboard contributed to the accident.

The seafarer was serving onboard the bulk carrier Equinox Seas, which was berthed at the ONEX Syros Shipyard in Greece on 17 April 2024 to undergo routine maintenance.

On the morning of the accident, the crew were instructed to 'clean and tidy' the ship before scheduled departure. At 13.50 a crew member working in the fan room reported hearing a scream and, unable to locate his colleague, concluded that he had fallen down the ventilation shaft into the engine room.

MAIB investigators concluded that the response to the accident by all organisations involved was 'timely and effective'. The incident was reported immediately via handheld radio and an emergency alarm sounded. Although emergency services arrived quickly, the crewmember died while in hospital care.

The MAIB report, however, identified several failures regarding the management of crew safety onboard the Equinox Seas. Most notably, communication around safety issues specific to the conditions of the shipyard was poor and was exacerbated by the ship's 'fragmented' management onboard. Moreover, the report reveals that communication between crew and shipyard staff was similarly poor and left crew members unaware of potential hazards.

A clear example of the poor safety practices onboard the Equinox Seas can be seen in the lack of signage pointing to the drop itself, which was marked only by thin yellow tape.

In response to the accident, the company managing the ship, Equinox Maritime Ltd, has changed its safety management system to better address risks associated with the shipyard environment. In addition to this, ONEX Syros Shipyards S.A. has received a recommendation to update its own safety management system to ensure that its workers can communicate effectively with crew members in order to mitigate risk.