A worker fell about 4 metres after a handrail broke away from its support brackets. He had been standing on the lower access landing of the normally unmanned offshore platform, awaiting transfer from the platform to the support vessel.
The worker struck the starboard aft gunwale of the support vessel before falling into the sea. His personal flotation device (PFD) failed to inflate on contact with water.
The worker was retrieved by the crew of the support vessel and taken to the local medical facility for assessment. He was then flown to a city hospital for treatment of chest injuries and a fractured lower leg.
A general visual inspection (GVI) to assess the structural integrity of the platform top side had been completed about 12 months before the incident and had identified moderate corrosion of the handrails.