Case History

Two riggers were preparing to pull a mooring line onboard. After rigging up a series of cables, they began the task. A wire rope fitting became caught on the chock. A rope was used as a temporary holding method, but the rope failed. The metal cable snapped taut and caught one of the riggers in the neck. He was killed.

Source: OSHA Video: Examining Fatal Shipyard Accidents

The root cause of this fatality was that the rope could not hold the load applied to it. Proper equipment selection is critical to safe rigging. If the rigger had been standing outside of the bight of the line, this accident could have been prevented. Proper training and hazard assessments prior to every rigging job can help minimize the risks of injury and death.

Perform hazard assessments before work begins.

Do not work in the bight of the line under load or strain.