Offshore InjuryBlog

How Transfers by Personnel Baskets Work

During offshore work, crews use many types of vessels, boats, rigs, and platforms. Since these machines and vessels are typically separate from each other, offshore workers need a way to transfer quickly between them. Transfers by personnel baskets are used to accomplish this task quickly. However, this method of transfer can be as dangerous as it is convenient, so it’s crucial that crews follow standard procedures while during a transfer.

How Transfers by Personnel Baskets Work

Crews are transferred by personnel baskets by using a crane to lift something known as a personnel transfer device, also known as a Billy Pugh basket. The personnel transfer device is typically a circular platform with webbing in the center. This webbing serves two purposes: it provides a place to store items and provides workers with something to hold during the transfer. During the basket transfer, crews climb on to the edge of the personnel transfer device, store their items in the middle, and are then lifted by the crane and moved to another vessel.

Crews should follow these steps during a transfer by personnel basket:

  1. All workers should stand clear of the basket until it is resting on the vessel. Workers should only approach the basket when instructed by the deck crew.
  2. Place all items in the center of the basket. Machinery or equipment should never be placed inside a personnel basket transfer device.
  3. Ensure that you are wearing a life vest before stepping onto the basket.
  4. Place one foot on the basket ring and keep the other on the vessel with a slightly bent knee.
  5. Grasp the ropes which make the webbing, and then interlock your arms through them in a crisscross form.
  6. The deck crew will signal for the crane operator to lift the basket.
  7. The crane operator will lift the basket and transfer it to the other vessel.
  8. As the basket is lowered, prepare to step off the basket with one foot.
  9. Always listen to the deck crew, remove your belongings, and move away from the basket as soon as possible.

What Can Go Wrong During a Transfer by Personnel Basket?

One of the most frightening aspects of a basket transfer involves the heights that cranes lift them. Workers might feel uneasy as the crane lifts them, especially since they are secured only with their arms. This is for good reason: basket transfers are dangerous and can cause injury or even death.

The following typically cause accidents during a transfer by personnel basket:

  • Human error
  • Unsafe sea conditions
  • High wind conditions
  • Defective equipment

A transfer by personnel basket is a task that requires every person involved to be completely engaged with what is happening. When a worker falls from a basket, they risk severe injury and can even drown if they fall into the water. A crane operator, deck crews, transferring workers, and all nearby parties must be constantly aware of conditions and surroundings to prevent a serious accident from occurring. While transfers by personnel basket are throughout the offshore industry, they remain as a possible threat to the safety of workers.

If you’ve suffered because of transfer by personnel basket accident, call Arnold & Itkin today for a free consultation at (888) 346-5024. Our offshore injury attorneys have secured billions for injured workers.

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