While performing routine maintenance on a vessel, a crew member was painting the turning gland support bracket of the dredge system. To access the work area, he stood on the hatch cover, as illustrated in the attached photo. (Fig 1) As he repositioned himself and took a small step back towards the centre, his right foot lost traction on a hinge plate. This resulted in his foot sliding off the edge of the hatch cover and into the narrow gap between the hatch and the nearby support structure, the employee suffered a grazed shin and believed he had sprained his ankle, he was able to continue light duties the next day, however due to noticeable bruising the employee went to the medical centre for a check-up and was subsequently diagnosed with a small fracture to the bone in his right ankle, thankfully the employee has made a full recovery.
KEY FINDINGS
Risk Assessment - A pre-task risk assessment was performed before commencing the task.
Experience - The operator was competent and very experienced in his role.
Workplace layout / design - The workplace layout was inadequate for the task due to the presence of potential tripping hazards near a gap, increasing the risk of losing footing.
