Posted on September 11, 2024
Safety is paramount in an industry that deals with heavy machinery, changeable weather, challenging operating conditions and tight project deadlines often delivered by multicultural teams. In a series of case studies, CEDA members discuss safety-related accidents and near-misses that caused them to pause and reevaluate safety in the workplace.
This month CEDA Industry News speaks to Mark Winkelman, Research Manager at Damen Dredging Equipment, about an oversight that almost cost him his life while commissioning a new dredger in Austria.
Safety is paramount in dredging but incidents often occur due to a momentary lapse of concentration, as Mark Winkelman discovered.
Winkelman explained the situation to CEDA Industry News (CIN): “My wake-up call for safety awareness came early in my career. While working for a different employer I was deployed to help commission a new dredger in Austria.”
The task was to remove sediment before it could enter the intakes of a power dam. The sediment was destined for beneficial use in the construction market, but larger stones had to be rejected at source. “For this purpose, a stone collection box was mounted before the submerged ladder pump and if we noticed a reduction in suction capacity, the stone collection box had to be opened and the contents of the collecting cage dumped into the barge alongside”, he continued.
A near-fatal oversight
On one such occasion, Winkelman, then a young and curious junior engineer, leapt forward to inspect the contents of the collection box. Unbeknownst to anyone on board, the box cover had snagged behind the forward anchor wire (the dredger was anchored on a fore-wire in a fast-flowing icy river). Without warning, the 25-ton wire slipped off the cover and struck him on the head.
Winkelman picks up the story, “I blacked out instantly and fell into the frigid waters of the ladder well. The shock of the cold water jolted me back to consciousness, and I managed to wash up on the ladder. My crew mates quickly retrieved me, rushed me ashore and took me to the hospital, where I found myself in the casualty queue amidst various winter sports injuries.”
Fortunately, he passed the medical check although the examining doctor initially thought Winkelman had been involved in a skiing accident and asked, “if I had run into a tree”.
Lessons learned
Luck was on Winkelman’s side in this incident, which could have resulted in serious injury or death. He was fortunate to walk away unscathed but the incident highlights the need for caution and situational awareness while working onboard dredgers.
The experience offers three key lessons that remain vital to this day:
- Design phase vigilance: Always check the paths of every moving part and identify potential collision points. Ensuring thorough safety checks during the design phase can prevent dangerous incidents.
- Commissioning protocols: It is crucial to wear a hard hat and life jacket during the commissioning phase. The dredger may not yet be fully operational and such precautions can save lives. Wearing a life jacket when on deck should be non-negotiable.
- Curiosity with caution: While professional curiosity is valuable, it must be tempered with caution. Inspecting equipment or dredged material should be done methodically and safely, without rushing into potentially hazardous situations.
As Winkelman concludes, “My experience serves as a constant reminder that even minor oversights can have severe consequences. By incorporating safety into every phase of operations—from design to commissioning and beyond—we can create safer working environments.”
Mark Winkelman, Research Manager at Damen Dredging Equipment, kindly recounted this safety spotlight to CIN.
While the advice given in this editorial content has been developed using the best information available, it is intended purely as guidance to be used at the user’s own risk. No responsibility is accepted by CEDA or by the Intent Communications Ltd or by any person, firm, corporation or organisation who or which has been in any way concerned with the furnishing of information or data, the compilation, publication or any translation, supply or sale of this Guidance for the accuracy of any information or advice given herein or for any omission herefrom or from any consequences whatsoever resulting directly or indirectly from compliance with or adoption of guidance contained therein even if caused by a failure to exercise reasonable care.
