MAIB identifies safety failures after fatal lift incident aboard Arvia

The technician was inside the lift shaft when the lift moved, crushing him between the car and the shaft wall. At the time, Arvia was sailing from Southampton to Santa Cruz de Tenerife with 5,299 passengers and 1,681 crew aboard.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch found that the inspection lacked a clearly communicated and mutually understood plan. It said positive control of the lift had not been established before the electrician entered the shaft, while the system of work relied on self-resetting door interlocks that did not provide an effective barrier against movement.

According to the investigation report, the supervising officer and electrician did not revise the permit to work, conduct a job safety review or agree how the additional inspection would be performed. The MAIB also noted that the supervising officer had not received formal lift-safety training from Carnival UK.

Carnival UK subsequently directed senior electrical technical officers to reinforce lift-maintenance and rescue requirements, including crew communication, correct permit-to-work management and a prohibition on using fixed ladders to access lift car tops. The company also updated its training materials with equipment-specific safety information. The MAIB recommended that Carnival UK review the use of self-resetting lift-door interlocks as a safety barrier during maintenance or inspection.