[BITList] 5 deaths during Boat Drill 5th.Feb.'13

[M.j. Feltham]

I thought that Lifeboat falls should be end for ended every 2 years, in August, 2012 !  No mention of this in the Maltese Report.

Mike
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Thomson Majesty lifeboat dropped due to corrosion 
Friday, 01 March 2013 13:40 
Malta’s Maritime Safety Investigation Unit has issued a safety 
alert following failure of lifeboat wire fall due to corrosion that 
resulted in five fatalities on the Maltese registered passenger 
vessel Thomson Majesty. 
Safety alert says: 
"On 10 February 2013, the Maltese registered passenger vessel 
Thomson Majesty was berthed port side alongside in Santa Crux 
de La Palma. The ship commenced a General Emergency and 
Life Boat Drill for all crew members. Three lifeboats on the 
outboard side were to be lowered to the water and sent away 
for training purposes. 
During the recovery and hoisting of no. 9 lifeboat, the forward 
wire fall parted causing the boat to swivel on the aft hook. As 
the boat reached an angle of approximately 45° to the 
horizontal, the aft end of the boat and the hook failed and the 
boat dropped approximately 20 metres to the sea, turning 
upside down as it entered the water." 
"One crew member was thrown from the boat as it entered the 
water, and two crew members managed to escape from the 
upturned boat by their own efforts. The remaining five crew 
members were subsequently declared deceased at the scene." 
"The fore and aft davit’s falls were replaced on 22 August 2010 
and the next scheduled replacement was August 2014. The 
launching appliance had been dynamically tested in May 2012. 
Initial results of the tests carried out on the parted ends of the 
wire indicate significant corrosion damage to the inner strands 
of the wire" 
The investigation is still open and the full safety investigation 
report will be made publically available on completion. 
"Meanwhile, all owners and masters should be on the alert of 
the potential hazards related to fall wire failure and: Ensure that 
the falls are continuously well lubricated with an approved type 
of grease, particularly those areas that are difficult to inspect, 
where the falls pass through and around sheaves. Inspect 
regularly, frequently and thoroughly all visible parts of wire falls 
in order to detect general deterioration and deformation, 
including corrosion, abrasion, and mechanical damage."