Fatal Crew Accident on Ro-Ro Cargo Vessel Laureline at Purfleet
Summary
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch published Investigation Report 7/2026 regarding a fatal accident aboard the Malta-registered ro-ro cargo vessel Laureline at Purfleet on 13 July 2024. A crew member was crushed between a reversing trailer and the vessel's structure during loading operations. The investigation identified systemic safety failures including inadequate training on new vehicle deck safety procedures, ineffective supervision, and industry guidance relying on flawed assumptions about marshaller positioning. MAIB issued an amended recommendation to the UK Chamber of Shipping and Port Skills and Safety Limited to develop an industry Code of Practice for ro-ro vehicle deck safety.
What changed
The MAIB investigation found that a crew member died after being crushed by a reversing trailer on the vehicle deck of the ro-ro cargo vessel Laureline. The accident occurred because the crew member passed behind a trailer assuming it had completed manoeuvring, while the tug driver was unaware of the crew member's position and reversed to realign the trailer. The vessel operators had introduced a new vehicle deck safety procedure, but it suffered from training weaknesses and poor implementation. Supervision was ineffective and management assurance was inadequate.
The investigation supersedes a prior recommendation (2024/148) from the Clipper Pennant accident investigation and now calls on the UK Chamber of Shipping and Port Skills and Safety Limited to develop a jointly agreed industry Code of Practice for vehicle deck safety that incorporates lessons from both accidents. Shipping companies operating ro-ro vessels should review their vehicle deck safety procedures, ensure crew and shore worker training is adequate, and verify that management oversight effectively confirms compliance with safety measures.
What to do next
- Shipping companies operating ro-ro vessels should review vehicle deck safety procedures and ensure crew training is effective
- Vessel operators should verify that shore-based tug drivers understand danger zones and stop procedures
- UK Chamber of Shipping and Port Skills and Safety Limited should develop consolidated industry Code of Practice for vehicle deck safety
Archived snapshot
Apr 16, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Fatal accident to a crew member on board the roll-on/roll-off cargo vessel Laureline
Location: Purfleet, England.
From: Marine Accident Investigation Branch Published 26 March 2026 Vessel type: Merchant vessel 100 gross tons or over Report type: Investigation report Date of occurrence: 13 July 2024
Accident Investigation Report 7/2026
Read our marine accident investigation report, which includes what happened, subsequent actions taken and recommendations:
MAIB Investigation Report 2026-7: Laureline
Summary
Shortly after 1700 on 13 July 2024, a crew member on board the Malta registered roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) cargo vessel Laureline was fatally injured when he was crushed between the rear of a moving trailer and the vessel’s structure. The accident happened while Laureline was alongside, loading and discharging trailers using tugs driven by shore workers under the direction of the ship’s crew.
Safety issues
- The deceased crew member passed behind the trailer probably assuming that it was safe to do so because it had completed manoeuvring.
- The tug driver was unaware of the crew member’s position and reversed the trailer to realign it, crushing the crew member against the vessel’s structure.
- The vessel operators had instigated a new procedure for vehicle deck safety. However, there were weaknesses in its training and implementation, and it was not well understood by the crew working on the vehicle deck who routinely entered the danger zone around moving vehicles.
- The tug driver’s knowledge of danger zones and the requirement to stop when a crew member was out of sight did not align with their actual working practices.
- Supervision on the vehicle deck was ineffective, and the vessel’s management company had not provided effective assurance to confirm that the new safety procedure had been understood or fully implemented on board.
- Industry guidance on ro-ro vehicle deck operations relied heavily on the misconception that the drivers depend on marshallers to safely position their trailers and will stop their vehicle if they lose sight of their marshaller. Statement from the Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents
Recommendations
The MAIB previously investigated a similar accident on board Clipper Pennant (MAIB report 16/2024). This resulted in a recommendation (2024/148) to the UK Chamber of Shipping and Port Skills and Safety Limited to develop a jointly agreed and consolidated industry Code of Practice for vehicle deck safety on roll-on/roll-off vessels. Recommendation 2024/148 is superseded by an updated and amended recommendation to the UK Chamber of Shipping and Port Skills and Safety Limited for the development of an industry Code of Practice considering the additional safety lessons resulting from the Laureline investigation.
Related publications
MAIB report 16/2024: Clipper Pennant
Published 26 March 2026 Contents
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