Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait
- Code of Safe Working Practice for seafarers
- Comparison of single and double hull tankers
- Livestock investigations
- OHS Incident Reports
- Offshore Support Vessel Code
- Review of grain auditing procedures
- Safe Loading and Unloading of Bulk Carriers
- Ship-Helicopter Transfers
OH&S Incident Reports
Occupational
Health and Safety (Maritime Industry) Act 1993 Incident Reports
Download Incident Reports for Period 2002/03 - 2006/07 [
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OH&S (MI) Act Incident Reports for the Period 2002/03-2006/07
This is the latest in a series of five year rolling reports produced by AMSA and reporting on an analysis of the incident reports lodged by employers over the period. The first report covered the period from 1994-1997 as the application of the OH&S(MI) Act commenced from 1 July 1994. The report has been designed to detect and analyse trends to enable AMSA to develop and implement strategies that will reduce the incidence of employment related injury and disease to Australian seafarers serving on ships to which Part II of the Navigation Act 1912 applies and declared ships.
Contents
Analysis of reports | Location of Incidents | Number of Injuries by Age Group | Number of Incidents per Month | Number of Injuries per Rank | Number of Incidents per Ship Type | Mechanism of Incidents | Agency of Incident | Nature of Incident | Bodily Location of Incident
Analysis of incident reports for the period 2002/03-2006/07
Introduction
AMSA performs the Inspectorate role under the Occupational Health & Safety (Maritime Industry) Act 1993 for the Seafarers’ Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Authority (Seacare). The role includes responsibility for:
- Ensuring that the requirement to report serious personal injuries, deaths and dangerous occurrences and other obligations imposed by or under the Act and the regulations are complied with;
- Advising operators, employees and contractors on occupational health and safety matters; and
- Providing Seacare with information.
AMSA marine surveyors are trained in occupational health and safety as well as the requirements of the Act. As Inspectors appointed under the Act, they perform a range of functions, including investigation of accidents and dangerous occurrences, issuing improvement and prohibition notices and advising employers on their duty of care, approaches to safety and effective injury prevention.
The number of incidents reported to AMSA during the 2006/07 year was 55, compared with 50 during 2005/06. This represents a reduction in the incident rate from 1.01% to 0.97%.
Note that adjustments have been made to the 2004/05 and 2005/06 results following a finding that incident rates for these two years were calculated using full time equivalent (FTE) employee value rather than the total number of employees working in the industry.
The overall trend continues downward since the introduction of the Act. The incident rate in the first full year of operation (1994/95) was 3.56%.
Incident reporting
Concerns exist about the discrepancy between the number of claims reported by the Australian Maritime Industry Compensation Authority (AMICA) and those incidents reported to AMSA. A recent review has suggested that the ratio of claims made and incidents reported is in the order of 3 to 1.
Overall, the review indicated what appeared to be a significant level of non-reporting by both the blue water sector and the offshore sector. AMSA intends to target non-reporting during future OH&S audits. This will be based on an ongoing annual comparison of data.
Activities of the OH&S inspectorate during the year
In addition to its regular program of Flag State Control inspections and International Ship Management system audits, AMSA instituted a program of regular OH&S audits for all ships subject to the OH&S(MI) Act during 2003/04. It is now intended to perform an annual OH&S audit on each ship.
AMSA continues to review all incidents reported and conducts investigations when considered necessary. AMSA also discusses with individual operators the results of their own internal investigations into incidents and the lessons learned.
Analysis of incidents
Injuries resulting from body stressing, falls, slips and trips, being hit by moving objects and hitting objects with a part of the body accounts for 76% of all injuries. This is a slight reduction on last year but still in line with previous years. Slips, trips and falls and body stressing should receive increased attention as significant improvement in these types of injury would substantially reduce the overall number of incidents.
Machinery, non-powered hand tools, appliances and equipment accounted for nearly 50% of the incidents, an increase on last year but still in line with previous years. Correct use of equipment and tools, perhaps with employers ensuring that seafarers are fully trained and competent on the full range in use, might be an area for action.
Injuries involving fractures, sprains and strains of joints and adjacent muscles reduced from 52% last year and accounted for 27% of the incidents. This follows on from a prior reduction from 66% in 2004/05 suggesting there has been considerable improvement in manual handling practices by the industry.
The number of incidents involving integrated ratings during the year continues to be high at 51%, this is similar with last year, suggesting that injuries to this category of employee is an area where OH&S audits and employers might concentrate.
Location of Incidents
LOCATION OF INCIDENTS FOR THE PERIOD 2002/03-2006/07 |
|||||
DESCRIPTION |
2002/03 |
2003/04 |
2004/05 |
2005/06 |
2006/07 |
Deck/cargo spaces |
24 |
24 |
23 |
25 |
20 |
Machinery Spaces |
12 |
19 |
5 |
8 |
8 |
Accommodation Block |
12 |
9 |
5 |
9 |
10 |
Other |
4 |
5 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
Galley |
2 |
6 |
|
2 |
2 |
Gangway/Pilot Ladder |
3 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Wharf |
1 |
3 |
|
|
1 |
Unknown |
8 |
2 |
8 |
4 |
12 |
TOTAL |
66 |
72 |
47 |
50 |
55 |
INCIDENTS FOR THE PERIOD EXPRESSED AS A % OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SEAFARERS |
|||||
DESCRIPTION |
2002/03 |
2003/04 |
2004/05 |
2005/06 |
2006/07 |
Deck/cargo spaces |
0.72 |
0.61 |
0.54 |
0.51 |
0.35 |
Machinery Spaces |
0.36 |
0.48 |
0.12 |
0.16 |
0.14 |
Accommodation Block |
0.36 |
0.23 |
0.12 |
0.18 |
0.18 |
Other |
0.12 |
0.13 |
0.12 |
0.02 |
0.02 |
Galley |
0.06 |
0.15 |
0.00 |
0.04 |
0.04 |
Gangway/Pilot Ladder |
0.09 |
0.10 |
0.02 |
0.02 |
0.02 |
Wharf |
0.03 |
0.08 |
|
|
0.02 |
Unknown |
0.24 |
0.05 |
0.18 |
0.08 |
0.21 |
TOTAL |
1.97 |
1.83 |
1.10 |
1.01 |
0.98 |
Number of Incidents by Age Group
NUMBER OF INCIDENTS BY AGE GROUP FOR THE PERIOD 2002/03-2006/07 |
||||||
AGE CATEGORIES |
SAMPLE AGE |
2002/03 |
2003/04 |
2004/05 |
2005/06 |
2006/07 |
20-24 |
22 |
6 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
25-29 |
27 |
2 |
9 |
5 |
3 |
1 |
30-34 |
32 |
10 |
7 |
|
7 |
5 |
35-39 |
37 |
10 |
8 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
40-44 |
42 |
6 |
10 |
3 |
10 |
11 |
45-49 |
47 |
12 |
6 |
5 |
|
5 |
50-54 |
52 |
9 |
8 |
12 |
10 |
8 |
55-59 |
57 |
7 |
12 |
7 |
5 |
8 |
60-64 |
62 |
4 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
7 |
65-69 |
67 |
|
1 |
|
2 |
1 |
Unknown |
|
|
2 |
|
|
1 |
Mean age |
|
42 |
44 |
46 |
46 |
45 |
TOTAL |
|
66 |
72 |
47 |
50 |
55 |
Because a range of age groups does not permit accurate calculation of means. Sample Age has been created and used. |
||||||
NUMBER OF INCIDENTS FOR THE PERIOD EXPRESSED AS A % OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SEAFARERS |
||||||
AGE CATEGORIES |
2002/03 |
2003/04 |
2004/05 |
2005/06 |
2006/07 |
|
20-24 |
0.18 |
0.08 |
0.09 |
0.10 |
0.09 |
|
25-29 |
0.06 |
0.23 |
0.12 |
0.06 |
0.02 |
|
30-34 |
0.30 |
0.18 |
|
0.14 |
0.09 |
|
35-39 |
0.30 |
0.20 |
0.14 |
0.08 |
0.05 |
|
40-44 |
0.18 |
0.25 |
0.07 |
0.20 |
0.19 |
|
45-49 |
0.36 |
0.15 |
0.12 |
|
0.09 |
|
50-54 |
0.27 |
0.20 |
0.28 |
0.20 |
0.14 |
|
55-59 |
0.21 |
0.31 |
0.16 |
0.10 |
0.14 |
|
60-64 |
0.12 |
0.15 |
0.12 |
0.08 |
0.12 |
|
65-69 |
|
0.03 |
|
0.04 |
0.02 |
|
Unknown |
|
0.05 |
|
|
0.02 |
|
TOTAL |
1.97 |
1.83 |
1.10 |
1.00 |
0.97 |
|
Monthly Incidents
MONTHLY INCIDENTS FOR THE PERIOD 2002/03-2006/07 |
|||||
|
2002/03 |
2003/04 |
2004/05 |
2005/06 |
2006/07 |
July |
5 |
4 |
5 |
9 |
2 |
August |
6 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
7 |
September |
7 |
4 |
4 |
1 |
6 |
October |
3 |
7 |
5 |
5 |
6 |
November |
6 |
8 |
4 |
4 |
7 |
December |
11 |
9 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
January |
4 |
6 |
3 |
8 |
3 |
February |
5 |
7 |
4 |
2 |
5 |
March |
7 |
5 |
3 |
6 |
3 |
April |
3 |
7 |
8 |
1 |
2 |
May |
6 |
8 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
June |
3 |
5 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
TOTAL |
66 |
72 |
47 |
50 |
55 |
PERCENTAGE OF INCIDENTS PER MONTH |
|||||
|
2002/03 |
2003/04 |
2004/05 |
2005/06 |
2006/07 |
July |
7.6 |
5.6 |
10.6 |
18.0 |
3.6 |
August |
9.1 |
2.9 |
8.5 |
10.0 |
12.7 |
September |
10.6 |
5.6 |
8.5 |
2.0 |
10.9 |
October |
4.5 |
9.7 |
10.6 |
10.0 |
10.9 |
November |
9.1 |
11.1 |
8.5 |
8.0 |
12.7 |
December |
16.7 |
12.5 |
8.5 |
6.0 |
9.1 |
January |
6.1 |
8.3 |
6.4 |
16.0 |
5.5 |
February |
7.6 |
9.7 |
8.5 |
4.0 |
9.1 |
March |
10.6 |
6.9 |
6.4 |
12.0 |
5.5 |
April |
4.5 |
9.7 |
17.1 |
2.0 |
7.3 |
May |
9.1 |
11.1 |
2.1 |
6.0 |
9.1 |
June |
4.5 |
6.9 |
4.3 |
6.0 |
3.6 |
TOTAL |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
MONTHLY INCIDENTS EXPRESSED AS A % OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SEAFARERS |
|||||
|
2002/03 |
2003/04 |
2004/05 |
2005/06 |
2006/07 |
July |
0.15 |
0.10 |
0.12 |
0.18 |
0.04 |
August |
0.18 |
0.05 |
0.09 |
0.10 |
0.12 |
September |
0.21 |
0.10 |
0.09 |
0.02 |
0.11 |
October |
0.09 |
0.18 |
0.12 |
0.10 |
0.11 |
November |
0.18 |
0.20 |
0.09 |
0.08 |
0.12 |