Report on marine accident - Fugløyfjord, occupational accident north of Bjørnøya on 12 July 2017
Marine report 2019/09
During purse seine fishing and hauling of the fishing gear north of Bjørnøya on 12 July 2017, a fisherman perished on board the fishing vessel Fugløyfjord. He was wedged between the vessel's winch (triplex) and the wheelhouse bulkhead. Neither the designer, the shipyard, the shipping company nor the authorities revealed that there were missing railings and signage in the area between the pipe and the wheelhouse, during construction or at the completion of the vessel. If such a railing had been installed in accordance with the regulations, the accident could probably have been avoided.
The crew experienced that the lines were spun during hauling. To solve this problem, they had chosen a work practice to position a person in the area by the pipe. This person should make sure that the lines were not spun when going into the pipe.
To compensate for the dangers of staying near the triplex while in use, the skipper and the person accompanying the stock trees should have continuous visual and oral contact.
Possible misunderstandings in the oral communication between the two, may have contributed to the skipper starting the hauling process without having restored the necessary visual control.
Facts
| Location | North of Bjørøya |
| Occurrence date | 12.07.2017 |
| Accident category | Personal injury |
| Area | Norwegian Economic Zone |
| IMO number | 9643013 |
| Name of vessel | Fugløyfjord |
| Accident type | Fatal Accident, Occupational accident |
| Vessel type | Fishing Vessel |
| Register | The Norwegian Fishing Vessel Register |