Marine Accident Investigation Branch Safety Digest 1/2005  Case 15

Being House-Proud Has Its Limits

Narrative
During a short sea passage on a twin-engined ship, a motorman was cleaning around the turboblower of one of the main engines. While working, he noticed a particularly dirty area in the region of the engine’s turning gear and flywheel guard.

He decided this mess needed cleaning up. In attempting to wipe the area, his hand became trapped in the gap between the turning gear’s worm and the flywheel. As the engine was running, his hand suffered severe lacerations.

The gap between the turning gear's worm and the flywheel

The Lessons
1. It is an admirable and very desirable aim to keep machinery spaces clean – but it should not be at the expense of personal safety.

2. When an engine or any other rotating machinery is running, it is sensible to keep hands and cleaning materials well clear of moving parts. If there is mess near to moving parts, wait until the machine is stopped before attempting to clean up.

3. The teeth on the flywheel of this engine are of substantial size. The motorman was extremely fortunate he did not suffer more serious injuries.