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Inspections and Compliance Directorate September 01, 2022 Safety Alert 09-22 Washington D.C. HIDDEN CORROSION ON DECK FITTINGS CAN CAUSE DANGEROUS FAILURES A recent marine casualty that resulted in a severe injury to a crewmember onboard a United States flagged cargo vessel brought to light a dangerous and potentially fatal situation involving D-ring lifting points. While positioning a removable hatch cover on the vessel (Figures 1 and 2), three of the four D-ring securing straps failed (Figures 3 and 4), causing an uncontrolled snap-back of the lifting sling assembly that struck the crewmember in the head. The three fractured securing straps showed similar failures with a significant amount of corrosion beneath the paint and on the underside of the straps. It is likely that just one D-ring failed initially, which would have instantly doubled the load on the two adjacent corner D-rings, both of which were apparently weakened and subsequently failed. Without proper and periodic inspection and replacement, corrosion and stress can eventually lead to deck fitting failures. Securing strap D-ring Figure 1. Deck Configuration Figure 2. Example D-Ring Configuration After the incident, the Coast Guard verified that the arrangement of the hatch cover lifting points were in accordance with all available drawings and design schematics. There were no records of any pull-tests or other testing conducted on these lifting points since their installation in the mid- 1980s. There were also no records of any D-ring replacements, indicating that these have likely been in an exterior weather deck environment for several decades. Although there are requirements 1 September 01, 2022 Safety Alert 09-22 Washington D.C. for design and in-service testing of mooring fittings and cargo-handling cranes and associated gear, there are no prescriptive periodic testing or inspection requirements for general purpose D-rings or their securing straps. Consequently, similar failures may occur in the absence of an established inspection and maintenance program. Figure 3. Separated D-Ring Figure 4. Failed Securing Strap The Coast Guard strongly recommends that vessel owners, operators, and other maritime stakeholders: • Immediately identify high-risk D-rings and similar lifting-point fittings. High risk factors include: Age, weather exposure, and lifting load. These factors will cumulatively cause corrosion losses on the fitting, increasing its stress and fatigue vulnerability during each lifting cycle. • Thoroughly inspect all high-risk lifting points for damage, hidden corrosion, and wastage. Audio gauging, pull-testing, or even replacement may be appropriate. • Consult with the manufacturer's instructions to ensure safe lifting limits are in place and that the effects of service life are considered in their determination. • Establish a maintenance schedule for periodically inspecting all lifting points and audio gauging or testing any fittings as they age into high-risk status. Marine inspectors, investigators, and surveyors are encouraged to maintain an acute awareness of these issues and initiate corrective actions as needed. This Safety Alert is provided for informational purposes only and does not relieve any domestic or international safety, operational, or material requirement. Developed by Investigators at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Maryland-National Capital Region and distributed by the Office of Investigations and Analysis. Questions may be sent to [email protected]. 2 Saatja: Taivo Kivimäe (Estonian SIB) </o=Majandus-Teede-Sideministeerium/ou=Exchange Administrative Group (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)/cn=Recipients/cn=user576ecc46> Saaja: Taivo Kivimäe (Estonian SIB) Teema: Ed: U.. S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Alert 09-22 See D-sse ilma MAIIF listita. Saatja: Taivo Kivimäe (Estonian SIB) Saatmisaeg: reede, 2. september 2022 08:48 Adressaat: Raul Tell <[email protected]>; Kristjan Truu <[email protected]> Teema: Ed: U.. S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Alert 09-22 Tere Teadmiseks Edu! Taivo Kivimäe OJK Saatja: Steve Clinch <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Saatmisaeg: neljapäev, 1. september 2022 19:25 Adressaat: …> Teema: Fwd: U.. S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Alert 09-22 Dear Colleagues, For information only The following email has been received from the USCG which gives details of its Safety Alert 09/22. A copy of the Safety Alert has been placed on the MAIIF website. Please be guided accordingly. Kind regards Steve Clinch Capt. Steve Clinch MNM General Secretary Marine Accident Investigators' International Forum (MAIIF) Opalham, The Street, Bramley, Hants RG26 5BP, United Kingdom Tel: +44(0)1256 881697. Mob: +44(0)7484 280113 ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: HQS-SMB-CG-INV <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Date: Thu, Sep 1, 2022 at 1:48 PM Subject: U.. S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Alert 09-22 To: Cc: HQS-SMB-CG-INV <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Good afternoon, The Office of Investigations & Analysis (CG-INV) has released Marine Safety Alert 09-22 <https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/5p/CG-5PC/INV/Alerts/USCGSA_0922.pdf> titled, “Hidden Corrosion on Deck Fittings Can Cause Dangerous Failures," which is now available on our Safety Alert <http://www.dco.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Prevention-Policy-CG-5P/Inspections-Compliance-CG-5PC-/Office-of-Investigations-Casualty-Analysis/Safety-Alerts/> internet site. Office of Investigations and Analysis Commandant (CG-INV) U.S. Coast [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>