Marine Safety Forum Safety Flash 13-36

Issued: 6th August 2013

Subject: CCU Door Handle Security
A cargo carrying unit was lifted from a PSV to a Production Platform. When it was landed
on the Production Platform it was identified that one of the cargo carrying units door
handles was not engaged. The upper retaining jaw which holds the door handle in place
had been bent upwards allowing the door handle to disengage. Potentially, the door could
have opened as it was being lifted from the PSV to the platform and the contents fallen
out.
Investigations indicated that the container had been damaged (as shown below) when a
skip which had been stowed directly in front of the container doors had been lifted
previously. The skip had made contact with the container door and forced the retaining jaw
upwards, releasing the handle.
There were protection wedges built into the container above and below the door; however
they failed to prevent this. More recent container designs have created additional
protection bars running vertically.

Protection wedges
built into the
container failed to
prevent damage

The information available on this Safety Flash and our associated web site is provided in good faith and only for the
purposes of enhancing safety and best practice. For the avoidance of doubt no legal liability shall be attached to any
guidance and/or recommendation and/or statement herein contained.

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Lessons Learned

Consideration should be given to

container design similar to that shown.
E.G. Vertical Bumpers to further protect
locking mechanism.

Where possible, cargo which is lower

than the height of a containers door
handles should be stowed away from
container doors.

All persons responsible for loading and

offloading operations (Onshore/Offshore)
should be made aware of the potential
for this incident to occur and take the
necessary preventative action.

Consideration to be given to fitting

appropriate secondary retention devices
to container doors.

The use of the Step Change/OGUK

Cargo Safety and Security Labels
(Yellow Labels) is an effective visual
indicator to show that the locking
mechanism is in place.

The information available on this Safety Flash and our associated web site is provided in good faith and only for the
purposes of enhancing safety and best practice. For the avoidance of doubt no legal liability shall be attached to any
guidance and/or recommendation and/or statement herein contained.

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