Ukraine

Slippery pipes can pose problems in Ukraine ports

Reports reaching the Club suggest that the number of occupational injuries being sustained by stevedores loading pipes in bundles into ships' holds in Ukraine ports has increased significantly of late. Initially, the pipes are greased with a protective industrial lubricant and thereafter are usually stored in open areas, and thus exposed to humidity and rainfall. As a result, the pipes are very often delivered on board the vessel in a wet condition. This wetness, when combined with the lubricating oil, makes the pipes very slippery and dangerous for stevedores to handle.

Two incidents occurred recently at the port of Odessa. In one, a stevedore slipped off a four-metre-high stack of pipes during loading, sustaining a fractured clavicle and multiple bruises. In the other, a similar accident resulted in a stevedore breaking his leg.

All precautions should be taken to prevent incidents of this nature occurring, and established safety procedures must be followed at all times. But, in the event of an accident, masters should arrange for first aid to be provided immediately, and for every assistance to be given to those administering it on board. A statement briefly describing the accident should be drawn up and given for signing to the chief stevedore or foreman without delay, and certainly during the same shift when the accident occurred. (Dias Co Ltd, Odessa)