Fatality prompts lifeline safety warning | Yachting News Update | The Business of Boat Ownership and Marina Berths

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Fatality prompts lifeline safety warning

BY ADMIN • MARCH 1, 2018 • NEWS, OLDER, YACHT MAINTENANCE • COMMENTS OFF • 379

An intact tether hook and one deformed after lateral loading. The boat was taking part in the Clipper Round the World Race when the incident occurred

The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch has issued a safety bulletin relating to the safety harness tethers that are used by almost all cruising yachts. The warning follows the failure of a harness line in a fatal man overboard incident in the Clipper Round the World Race in November last year.

The bulletin highlights details on the background and events leading up to the accident and a critical safety lesson in respect of the failed harness tether. A detailed report, that will analyse all other contributing factors to the incident, will be published at a later date, probably during the summer of 2018.

The incident occurred in daylight while the 70ft yacht was on passage from Cape Town, South Africa, to Melbourne, Australia. A crewmember who was clipped onto the jackstay was washed overboard. The hook at the end of the tether deformed and released, resulting in him becoming separated from the yacht. The casualty was subsequently recovered but sadly could not be resuscitated.

Tether hook trapped under deck cleat

A safety issue identified at an early stage of the investigation is that the hook on the end of tether had become caught under a deck cleat. This resulted in a sideways load loading that distorted the hook, causing it to open (see photo). The worrying point is that the tether and hook are of a conventional design and quality of build, certified under ISO12401, and of a type that is commonly used on yachts throughout the world.

Although these tethers can withstand loads of more than 1,000kg when loaded longitudinally, subsequent laboratory testing has shown they fail at a small fraction of that figure when loaded laterally.

“It is important that tether hooks remain clear of obstructions and are free to rotate to align the load longitudinally,” the report concludes. “To prevent the strength of a safety harness tether becoming compromised due to lateral loading on the tether hook, the method used to anchor the end of the tether to the vessel should be arranged to ensure that the tether hook cannot become entangled with deck fittings or other equipment.” It is understood that to achieve this the Clipper yachts have wrapped ropes around the horns of the foredeck mooring cleats.

via Fatality prompts lifeline safety warning | Yachting News Update | The Business of Boat Ownership and Marina Berths.

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