MAIB cites planning and control failures in fatal Arvia lift accident
A crew member was crushed while inspecting a passenger lift as the P&O Cruises ship sailed toward Tenerife.
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch found that ineffective task planning and communication, combined with a lack of positive control over a lift, led to a crew member’s death aboard P&O Cruises’ Arvia.
An electrical technician was fatally crushed at about 05:52 on October 26, 2025, while inspecting passenger lift 14. At the time, the 344.5-metre, Bermuda-registered ship was sailing from Southampton to Santa Cruz de Tenerife and was about 75 nautical miles northwest of Cape Finisterre, Spain.
According to the MAIB, the technician entered the lift shaft from deck 14 after being unable to open the landing doors on deck 12. The lift then moved in response to a stored call signal.
The agency said the permit to work did not account for the task extending beyond the activity it authorized. Investigators also identified inconsistencies in lift-maintenance training and the way competence was verified.
The report found that relying on door interlocks was not an effective safety barrier because the interlocks reset when the doors closed. The MAIB urged Carnival UK to assess whether self-resetting lift interlocks provide adequate protection during maintenance.