The British Union Unite welcomed a recent April development regarding the fact that Clydeport Operations and Svitzer Marine will face criminal charges at the high court over the sinking of the Flying Phantom tug six years ago.
3 of 4 Crew Perished in Effort to Assist Bulk Carrier in Thick Fog
According to information from Unite, The Flying Phantom when down during its efforts to assist a bulk carrier in thick fog on the Clyde. Three of the tug’s four-man crew perished; only the mate managed to escape from the vessel’s wheelhouse and was later rescued.
In September 2008, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) released a report into the sinking of the tug and identified a number of preventable safety issues which contributed towards to the deaths of the crew members.
Relatives Have Long-Since Demanded Justice
Relatives have long-campaigned for justice over the events which led to the deaths of their loved ones, including a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI).
Unite Scottish secretary Pat Rafferty noted, “We hope today represents the first steps on the road to justice for the families devastated by the deaths of their loved ones.
Unite is demanding answers and accountability on the following issues:
- Who are the individuals in each company responsible for the safety failures which led to the deaths of these workers?
- Why could the recommendations of the MAIB not be legally enforced?
- Why has it taken over five painful years to get to this starting point?
Rafferty added that “Today’s events take place against a wider backdrop of increasing workplace fatalities across Scotland and funding for safety enforcement is being gutted by the Westminster government – it’s unacceptable.
“Lives in the workplace must be better protected. The case of the Flying Phantom and rising workplace fatalities show we need stronger legislation to achieve this.”
Author Michael B. Stack, CPA, Director of Operations, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is an expert in employer communication systems and part of the Amaxx team helping companies reduce their workers compensation costs by 20% to 50%. He is a writer, speaker, and website publisher. www.reduceyourworkerscomp.com. Contact: mstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.
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