The Observer, July 2006

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Barge mishap kills crewman

A 46-year-old crewman on Alyeska Pipeline’s Tan’erliq tractor tug was killed in April after a part failed on a response barge as the tug tied up to it.

The victim was Charles Wamser of Anchorage, according to press accounts. He was second mate on the Tan’erliq, owned and operated for Alyeska by Crowley Maritime Corporation.

The accident occurred when the cross piece failed on a device known as an H-bitt, which was being used to secure a line from the Tan’erliq to Crowley’s Barge 450-3. The cross piece broke off and struck Wamser in the head. He is believed to have died instantly.

The flying cross piece also struck the Tan’erliq’s chief engineer with enough force to rip off the shell of his hardhat, leaving only the harness in place, according to a report on the incident by Crowley. He was not injured.

The Crowley report concluded the steel used for the cross piece was too small for the job, and had not been installed properly. Normally, the cross piece runs through holes in the vertical legs of the bitt. In this case, it had simply been welded between the legs.

In response to the accident, Crowley issued a safety directive specifying how crew members are to stay clear when mooring lines are coming under tension. In addition, Crowley ordered inspections of H-bitts on all barges in its world-wide fleet. One more barge with an improper H-bitt was found in the Valdez fleet, according to the Crowley report.

Roy Robertson, a council project manager, sat on a safety panel that reviewed the accident and contributed to the Crowley report.

“Crowley Marine and Alyeska were very open about their operations and did everything they can to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Robertson said. “It was great that they allowed us to participate because they didn’t have to.”