It was a series of safety deficiencies that were behind the accident on board one of Eckerölinjen’s ships last fall.
Two people were injured when a car ramp fell down.
Among other things, staff have not received sufficient training, writes the National Accident Commission in its report
It was in October last year that the accident occurred on board one of Eckerölinjen’s ships in Grisslehamn, north of Norrtälje. Part of the car ramp collapsed and crushed the rear end of a car and two people were slightly injured.
The Norwegian Accident Commission finds that a series of safety deficiencies were behind the accident. At the time, the automatic operation of the suspended decks did not work and they instead needed to be operated manually, and for this there was a lack of sufficient safety features.
Above personnel and flaws in the construction
One of the safety deficiencies identified by the National Accident Commission is that personnel have not received sufficient training and that the instructions have not been updated.
The sailor who was supposed to perform the task of lowering the hanging decks manually had not done so for a long time and made a mistake during the maneuver. This in turn led to several wires breaking and the platform falling freely and landing on a car with a trailer floor below.
There have also been deficiencies in repairs to the hanging decks, which led to the platform’s wires not being able to withstand the loads that occurred during the incident, writes the Norwegian Accident Commission in its report.
Safety recommendations
After the accident, the National Accident Commission has made recommendations to Rederiaktiebolaget Eckerö, to avoid similar accidents happening again.
Among other things, it is requested to ensure that all risky work steps are reviewed and taken care of, and that training and instructions for such work steps are drawn up and kept up to date.
The shipping company Eckerö is also asked to ensure that a technical solution is introduced that ensures that the suspension deck locks cannot be retracted before the lifting cables have been stretched.