In offshore and maritime operations, personnel basket transfers are often unavoidable. They’re used to move crew members between vessels, rigs, and docks—sometimes in unpredictable sea conditions and under tight schedules. Despite their routine use, these transfers remain one of the most dangerous activities in the industry. One of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent injury is the consistent use of a safety checklist before every lift.
A safety checklist ensures that all personnel, equipment, and environmental conditions have been properly reviewed before initiating a transfer. It’s a proactive measure designed to catch hazards before they become accidents. When companies neglect or rush through this process, the results can be devastating.
Why Safety Checklists Matter
Every basket transfer involves multiple variables: crane mechanics, human coordination, sea state, vessel movement, and more. A pre-lift checklist helps crews:
- Confirm that all equipment is in proper working condition
- Ensure personnel have the correct safety gear and know the transfer procedure
- Communicate clearly across teams involved in the lift
- Assess and document environmental risks such as wind and visibility
- Designate roles and emergency responsibilities in case something goes wrong
Without a structured checklist, crews may rely on memory or assumption—both of which increase the likelihood of human error.
What a Pre-Lift Safety Checklist Should Include
While checklists may vary based on equipment or conditions, key items should always be reviewed before a lift:
Personnel
- Has everyone been briefed on the transfer procedure?
- Are all workers wearing proper PPE (hard hats, life vests, harnesses)?
- Is the number of people in the basket within weight and capacity limits?
- Are all riders physically capable of participating in the transfer?
Equipment
- Has the crane been inspected and tested?
- Are the basket, cables, shackles, and hooks free from visible damage?
- Are communication devices (radios, headsets) functioning properly?
- Has the basket been secured and inspected for stability?
Environmental Conditions
- Is the sea state within acceptable limits for the lift?
- Are wind speeds safe for the transfer?
- Is visibility sufficient for clear communication and basket placement?
- Are weather forecasts monitored for changes?
Communication and Coordination
- Are signalmen and crane operators aligned on hand signals or radio use?
- Has a stop-work authority been clearly assigned?
- Is an emergency response plan in place and understood by all?
What Happens When Checklists Are Skipped?
When offshore teams bypass or rush through checklists, key risks go unnoticed. Examples of failures that often follow:
- Transferring with a cracked shackle or worn sling
- Overloading the basket or placing personnel incorrectly
- Operating in rough weather without adjusting for wind and wave movement
- Miscommunication between the crane operator and deck crew
- Not noticing frayed rigging or mechanical faults in the crane
These oversights have led to serious injuries including falls, crush injuries, and deaths—most of which were preventable.
Legal Implications of Ignoring Safety Protocols
When an injury occurs and no pre-lift checklist was used—or the checklist was ignored—it’s often a sign of negligence. Under maritime law and the Jones Act, injured offshore workers can seek compensation if their employer failed to follow industry-standard safety procedures.
Negligence may involve:
- Failure to implement a checklist system
- Falsifying or skipping pre-lift documentation
- Assigning untrained workers to operate or inspect lift equipment
- Ignoring environmental warnings or weather conditions
When proven, these failures can entitle the injured worker to compensation for medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and more.
Holding Employers Accountable
Employers have a legal duty to ensure safe work conditions, especially for high-risk tasks like personnel basket transfers. When companies fail to enforce or follow safety checklists, they put lives at risk—and they may be held financially and legally responsible for the outcome.
Contact Spagnoletti Law Firm
At Spagnoletti Law Firm, our accident lawyers represent offshore and maritime workers who were injured due to preventable safety failures, including skipped or incomplete safety checks. If you or someone you love was hurt in a basket transfer incident, we can investigate whether standard procedures were ignored and help you build a strong case.
📞 Call 713-804-9306 today for a free consultation. We only get paid if we recover compensation for you. Let us help you hold unsafe operators accountable.