Hatch cover wheel breaks free, fatal accident on board the Marja
When the hatch wheel came loose, the chief engineer on board the Dutch freighter Marja died on 8 February 2018 off the shore in Mestre (Venice, Italy). After the wheel had come off the axle, the chief engineer hit the wheel with a sledgehammer. The chief engineer died when the wheel unexpectedly came off the axle during the impact and hit his chest.
Instrument for risk estimation necessary
Two crucial moments led to the breaking free of the hatch cover wheel and subsequently the death of the chief engineer on the Marja. The first moment was when the wheel had partially run free from the axle, and the second moment was the decision to hit the wheel with a sledge hammer.
Coming free of the wheel
The wheel was able to run free from the axle because the circlip that was used to secure the wheel onto the axle was no longer working. The analysis of the grease left behind on the axle, and which was subsequently secured, contained indications that the bearings were no longer functioning correctly, and that the wheel at some point had become stuck. As a result of the build-up of pressure, the circlip securing the wheel must have broken.
Functioning of the bearings
The fact that the bearings were no longer functioning correctly contributed to the occurrence of the accident. In addition, the visual inspection of the wheels and the bearings for wear requires considerable preparation and work. There are ways of periodically checking the correct functioning of the bearings, without having to remove the cover plate from the wheel. The weight of the hatch cover can for example be released from the wheel, so that the rotation of the wheel and the functioning of the bearings can be checked.
Risk estimation
Implicitly or otherwise, the various parties agreed to the use of the sledge hammer to hammer the wheel of the hatch cover back into its starting position. No explicit reference was made to potential risks or consequences of this action.
