Report into IOW ferry’s mezzanine deck partial collapse

Laura Hodgetts
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A MAIB report has been published following an investigation into the collapse of a mezzanine deck on board an Isle of Wight ferry, which injured a crewman and several passengers.

The starboard forward mezzanine deck on board the UK registered roll-on roll-off passenger ferry St Helen partially collapsed at 2221 on 18 July 2014, causing injuries to a crewman and several passengers.

St Helen on passage in the Solent

St Helen on passage in the Solent

St Helen’s mezzanine deck was being lowered at Fishbourne ferry terminal in preparation for the disembarkation of the cars parked on it when its inboard steel wire ramping rope suddenly parted.

This caused a corner of the suspended deck to drop from a height of about 2m and hit the main deck below. The force of the impact caused the failure of one of the mezzanine deck’s main structural beams.

The incident injured a crewman, who was rendered unconscious from a head injury, and three passengers, who had suffered a variety of minor injuries while seated in their cars, were taken to hospital. None of the injured remained in hospital overnight.

Post-accident analysis of the failed wire rope found that it had suffered a significant amount of mechanical wear. The mechanical wear, which had primarily been attributed to internal and external abrasion caused by a lack of lubrication, had severely diminished the strength of the rope.

The investigation found weaknesses in the way that Wightlink had managed the day-to-day maintenance of its vessels and, in particular, their mezzanine decks. This was despite the mezzanine decks being subject to regular inspections and mandatory six-monthly thorough examinations by a Royal & Sun Alliance Engineering Inspection & Consultancy surveyor.

Wightlink was aware of many of the safety issues and contributing factors highlighted in this investigation report.

Evacuation of the passengers from the mezzanine deck to the passenger lounge

Evacuation of the passengers from the mezzanine deck to the passenger lounge

Of note: the absence of a formal mezzanine deck greasing routine had been subject to an internal safety management system non-conformity for over two years; the failure to address the non-conformity was highlighted by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency nine months prior to the accident; and the failure to lubricate the steel wire lifting ropes was identified during six-monthly examinations.

Given this knowledge, and the potential consequences of a rope parting, Wightlink demonstrated little or no appetite to allocate the resources necessary to resolve this long-standing issue. This apparent lack of impetus was probably influenced by an over reliance on its four-yearly wire rope replacement program and the Royal & Sun Alliance Engineering Inspection & Consultancy and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s reluctance to escalate the issue.

Wightlink ferry routes between the Isle of Wight and the mainland. Reproduced from Admiralty Chart BA 2045-0 by permission of the Controller of HMSO and the UK Hydrographic Office for the MAIB report

Wightlink ferry routes between the Isle of Wight and the mainland. Reproduced from Admiralty Chart BA 2045-0 by permission of the Controller of HMSO and the UK Hydrographic Office for the MAIB report

Action taken
On 7 August 2014, the Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents wrote to Wightlink and:

•    Recommended (MAIB recommendation 2014/136) that Wightlink implement, with immediate effect:
o    a formal mezzanine deck wire dressing routine on all its vessels with wire operated mezzanine decks, and
o    seek independent assurance that the mezzanine decks and their hoisting/support wires are of sound condition.
Actions taken by other organisations

Wightlink has:
•    Conducted immediate inspections on board all its vessels operating with MacGregor equipment to confirm the safe condition of the equipment, and replaced a number of wire ropes.
•    Retired St Helen from service; prior to this its mezzanine decks had been permanently taken out of service.
•    Written a formal monthly greasing schedule into an electronic planned maintenance system.
•    Introduced a 30-month maximum wire rope replacement schedule.
•    Developed a risk assessment to enable crew members to conduct mezzanine deck inspections while the decks are suspended only on the lifting wire ropes.
•    Implemented a new centralised electronic Planned Maintenance System for all Saint Class vessels, and commenced roll out of the system across its other ships.
•    Contracted the mezzanine deck manufacturers to carry out annual maintenance inspections.
•    Contracted the mezzanine deck manufacturers to carry out annual maintenance inspections.

Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Group Plc has:
Disposed of its engineering division, RSA Engineering Inspection & Consultancy, and no longer provides any engineering inspection services or inspections. All employees, contracts and intellectual property (except the trading name) have been acquired by the privately owned company British Engineering Services Ltd.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has:
Taken action in response to MAIB recommendation 2014/132 (Celtic Carrier investigation report) to improve its training and guidance provided to its surveyors on the raising and closing out of non-conformities.