Investigators Say a Self-Resetting Door Lock Failed as a Safety Barrier on Arvia

The United Kingdom’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch has published its final report on a fatal passenger lift accident aboard the P&O cruise ship Arvia. The accident happened on October 26, 2025, while the ship, operated by Carnival UK, was sailing from Southampton to Santa Cruz de Tenerife with 5,299 passengers and 1,681 crew. The branch investigated on behalf of the Bermuda Ship Registry.

A 35-year-old electrical technician was inspecting passenger lift 14 after overnight repairs when the lift reactivated and moved upward, crushing him against the shaft wall. It occurred about 75 nautical miles northwest of Cape Finisterre, Spain, at 5:52 a.m., and he was pronounced dead roughly 15 minutes later.

The report identifies five directly contributing safety issues. The technician and his supervising officer did not share an understanding of the task, and positive control of the lift was not established before he entered the shaft. The work relied on self-resetting door interlocks, which the investigators said did not provide an effective safety barrier. The permit to work was not updated when the job changed, and the officer who issued it had no formal lift safety training with Carnival UK. A defective door release also led him to enter from another deck.

The branch issued one recommendation, asking Carnival UK to review the use of self-resetting lift door interlocks as a safety barrier during maintenance and inspection. The company has reinforced lift maintenance and rescue requirements with its electro-technical officers fleetwide, banned use of the fixed shaft ladder to reach the top of a lift car, and introduced an interim training and competency requirement for lift maintenance staff.

Sources: Cruise Industry News