IMCA Incident Report: Crew Member Injured Due to Weathertight Door Failure

IMCA shared a lesson learned from an incident where a weathertight door on a vessel was forced open by a large wave, causing serious injuries to a crew member. The crew member was hit by water gushing through the door and washed down two flights of stairs, leading to the need for medical assessment and airlifting to another hospital for specialist trauma support. The incident highlighted the importance of proper door design and crew awareness in stormy weather.

What went right in the situation included the completion of a Heavy Weather Checklist, crew members using internal access to avoid hazards, timely notification to shore-based management, and effective coordination in managing the injured crew member. However, factors that went wrong included the unexpected rogue wave, high sea conditions, and the suboptimal direction of the weathertight door.

The cause of the incident was attributed to the design of the door opening forward instead of aft, leading to it being forced open by the wave impact. Lessons learned included the need to redesign the door positioning to prevent water ingress and maintain crew situational awareness of weather changes. These insights aim to improve safety measures and prevent similar incidents in the future.

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