Fisherman fatally injured off Aberdeen while deck 'not properly supervised'

The incident happened on the Olivia Jean in 2019

Deck operations were not being properly supervised when a fishing boat crewman was fatally struck by equipment, a report has said.

The incident happened on the Olivia Jean about 39 miles (63km) north-east of Aberdeen in July 2019.

The Indonesian was struck on the head by a scallop dredge towing bar, and died later in hospital.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said there was a communication issue between the crew.

The fisherman suffered crush injuries to his head and was airlifted to hospital for emergency treatment but died 12 days later.

Released and swung inboard

The MAIB report explained: "The crewman had replaced two worn dredges on the towing bar and stood clear as the skipper used the winches and derrick to lift and realign the gear against the vessel's tipping door.

"Unfortunately, one of the towing bar's securing chains had not been released and the dredge gear became snagged.

"Although the skipper shouted instructions to the crewman to remain clear as he attempted to free the gear, the crewman stepped between the snagged bar and the accommodation superstructure just as the snagged bar released and swung inboard."

The accident happened out of the skipper's line of sight, according to the report, and he was relying on a CCTV screen behind him to monitor the area - suggesting the deck operations "were not being properly supervised or controlled".

Learning lessons

Communication between crew members was said to be hampered by a lack of a common language and the poor level of spoken English.

Recommendations have been made to Olivia Jean's managers - TN Enterprises Ltd, based in Annan in Dumfries and Galloway - aimed at improving the safety management on board its fleet.

The MAIB report added: "Learning lessons from previous accidents can prevent injuries and save lives.

"In this case, the lessons learned and corrective action implemented did not prevent a near identical accident from occurring to the crew on board in August 2020.

"It was very fortunate that it did not result in another fatality."