Health & Safety

Preventing coal cargo from self-heating

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The atmosphere in each cargo hold should be monitored, at least on a daily basis, for CO, hydrogen sulphide (H2 S), oxygen (O2) and flammable gas (LEL-methane).
The atmosphere in each cargo hold should be monitored, at least on a daily basis, for CO, hydrogen sulphide (H2 S), oxygen (O2) and flammable gas (LEL-methane).

London P&I Club has analysed the problems associated with the transportation of coal in bulk, such as self-heating and flammable gas (i.e. methane) release. Self-heating can lead to fires and the production of carbon monoxide (CO), whilst methane release can lead to an explosive atmosphere being generated in the hold.

Self-heating normally occurs in localised hot spots within a bulk cargo, and temperature measurements are unlikely to identify problems. However, when coal self-heats it produces CO, so measuring the concentration of CO is the most effective method to identify a self-heating cargo.

The atmosphere in each cargo hold should be monitored, at least on a daily basis, for CO, hydrogen sulphide (H2 S), oxygen (O2) and flammable gas (LEL-methane). If the holds are being ventilated, then ventilation should be stopped at least Continue reading “Preventing coal cargo from self-heating”

How to conduct a safe bunkering operation

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A number of safe bunkering measures are required for each bunkering operation. These can be divided into four stages and checks
A number of safe bunkering measures are required for each bunkering operation. These can be divided into four stages and checks

The UK P&I Club has published helpful guidance to ensure safe bunkering operations. The Club said that bunkering operations are routine and critical, high risk operations which require to be carefully planned and performed.

Causes of bunker spills
Although the most of the bunker transfers are carried out without incident, very occasionally, things can and do go wrong. The UK Club notes that only a minority of cases do bunker spills occur because of failure of the hoses or pipelines, while the majority of spills result from a tank overflowing.

But these are not the only causes. Common causes of bunker spills can be summarised as follows:

– Improper set up of pipeline system valves: Potentially causing either overpressure, or flow of bunkers to an unintended location;
– Insufficient monitoring of tank levels during bunkering: All tanks, not only those Continue reading “How to conduct a safe bunkering operation”

Loss of propulsion leads dredger to collide with loaded barge says report

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The FRPD 309 sustained damage to the shell plating and forepeak tank forward of the collision bulkhead. In addition, the port anchor was disconnected from its housing and became wedged in the Evco 60's hull
The FRPD 309 sustained damage to the shell plating and forepeak tank forward of the collision bulkhead. In addition, the port anchor was disconnected from its housing and became wedged in the Evco 60’s hull

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada released its investigation report into the collision of the dredger FRPD 309 with the loaded barge Evco 60, on 5 December 2017, in the Fraser River.

The incident
On 04 December 2017, the dredger FRPD 309 departed a shipyard in Delta, BC, to begin dredging in the Fraser River. The vessel is a conventional trailing arm suction dredger, with the bridge and accommodation located forward and machinery space located aft. Before departure, the crew had carried out pre-departure checks, a safety meeting, and emergency drills.

After arriving at the dredging location, the vessel started dredging sand and sediment from the river bed into the hopper using the 2 trailing arms and a dredging pump. When the hopper was filled, the sand and sediment was pumped ashore via a pipeline. The master left the bridge, handing over the command of the vessel to the officer of the watch (OOW). Two engineers, 2 deckhands, and a pipe operator were also on duty.

As the vessel was turning and the pipe operator was raising the trailing arms to the deck level, the vessel experienced Continue reading “Loss of propulsion leads dredger to collide with loaded barge says report”

Safety warning about working in enclosed spaces after the loss of life on a fishing vessel issued by MAIB

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This urgent bulletin has been issued after working in a refrigerated saltwater tank resulted in a fatal accident on board fv Sunbeam (FR487) at Fraserburgh, Scotland.

Initial findings
At about 0900 on 14 August, Sunbeam’s crew arrived at the vessel’s berth ready to begin work. The vessel’s refrigeration plant had been shut down after landing the final catch at Lerwick, and its RSW tanks had been pumped out and tank lids opened in preparation for deep cleaning. At some time between 1200 and 1350, Sunbeam’s second engineer entered the aft centre RSW tank and collapsed.

Continue reading “Safety warning about working in enclosed spaces after the loss of life on a fishing vessel issued by MAIB”

Complaints received by the Canal & River Trust are on the up

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Of the other complaints, there was one about the routing of HS2, as well as others in some way related to land or property.
Of the other complaints, there was one about the routing of HS2, as well as others in some way related to land or property.

252 complaints were received by the Canal & River Trust in 2017/18, according to the latest Waterways Ombudsman report.

The report show that the number of complaints is above the average of 225 over the past five years. During the year the Ombudsman received 35 enquiries about the Trust, down on 39 last year. Fifteen new investigations were opened, which was one more than the previous year and the number of completed investigations was 14, three lower than the previous year.

Of the 14 investigations completed, one was upheld, while in a further four investigations the complaint was either upheld in part, or elements of it were upheld. Goodwill awards were proposed in three cases, although in one case the complainant did not accept it.

Wide-ranging complaints
There was a very diverse range of complaints. The majority were about Continue reading “Complaints received by the Canal & River Trust are on the up”

Results of Maritime New Zealand recreational boating survey published

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Incoming Chair of the Safer Boating Forum and Maritime NZ Deputy Director Sharyn Forsyth said the 2018 Ipsos survey is encouraging and shows that boaties’ safety behaviour has improved in the four key risk areas identified and targeted by the 23-member Safer Boating Forum.
Incoming Chair of the Safer Boating Forum and Maritime NZ Deputy Director Sharyn Forsyth said the 2018 Ipsos survey is encouraging and shows that boaties’ safety behaviour has improved in the four key risk areas identified and targeted by the 23-member Safer Boating Forum.

Maritime New Zealand has published its Ipsos 2018 Recreational Boating Survey, revealing that recreational boaties seem to be generally behaving more safely. There is a steady lifejacket wearing culture, more weather checking, taking two ways to call for help and avoiding alcohol when going out on the water.

Boating by the numbers 2018
– 1.5 million adults (42% of New Zealanders) were involved in recreational boating last year.
– Kayaks remain the most popular craft used by boaties (33%), followed by power boats under six metres (22%), and dinghies (11%).
– Last year 19 people died in recreational boating accidents on New Zealand waters. Of these, 18 were men – 14 over 40 years (the highest fatality group).
– Lifejackets remain the most prevalent form of safety device taken on boating trips.
– The number of boaties wearing their lifejackets all, or most of the time, on the water, remains stable at 75%.
– The percentage of boaties having at least two ways to signal or call for help if needed ‘every time’ has risen to 43% in 2018 from 38% in 2017.
– The percentage of boaties checking the weather before heading out on the water has risen to Continue reading “Results of Maritime New Zealand recreational boating survey published”

Safety alert issued by BSEE following inspections and findings from fired vessels

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Photo credit: BSEE
Photo credit: BSEE

US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has issued a safety alert summarizing its findings and recommendations following a number of recent risk-based inspections. BSEE’s team of inspectors and engineers developed several recommendations from inspection findings to reduce the risks associated with fired vessels; hydrocarbon processing vessels on offshore oil and gas facilities with self-contained, natural or forced draft burners.

Between July 17 and July 20, BSEE inspectors visited 27 platforms operated by 14 unique operators to focus on personnel competency, mechanical integrity of fired vessels, managements systems, and maintenance of fire suppression systems.

BSEE inspectors also tested the effectiveness of Continue reading “Safety alert issued by BSEE following inspections and findings from fired vessels”

Serious eye injury during maintenance of fresh water steriliser caused due to lack of PPE

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It was reported that the injured engineer was not wearing any face or eye protection when carrying out the work, despite the ready availability of this equipment in the engine room.
It was reported that the injured engineer was not wearing any face or eye protection when carrying out the work, despite the ready availability of this equipment in the engine room.

In the UK P&I Club‘s latest ‘Lessons Learned’ feature, Capt David Nichol references a case about a serious eye injury caused to an engineer who was engaged in carrying out routine maintenance of a fresh water steriliser. The investigation and outcome identified that the injured man had not been part of a proper risk assessment and consequently had not been wearing any face protection.

The incident occurred while two of the vessel’s engineers were performing maintenance on the U.V. steriliser of the fresh water generator in port. The work involved replacing a U.V. lamp and its associated tubular quartz glass sleeve within the cylindrical steriliser casing.

After the old lamp and sleeve were removed and the new sleeve installed, the engineers decided to hydrostatically test the steriliser unit to verify that the sleeve was correctly fitted and not Continue reading “Serious eye injury during maintenance of fresh water steriliser caused due to lack of PPE”

Safety digest with twenty four case studies published by MAIB

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The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), based in Southampton, UK, has published its latest safety digest that features 24 case studies of accidents and incidents it has investigated.

The information is published to inform the shipping and fishing industries, the pleasure craft community and the public of the general circumstances of marine accidents and to draw out the lessons to be learned. The sole purpose of the Safety Digest is to prevent similar accidents happening again. The content must necessarily be regarded as tentative and subject to alteration or correction if additional evidence becomes available. The articles do not assign fault or blame nor do they determine liability. The lessons often extend beyond the events of the incidents themselves to ensure the maximum value can be achieved.

In his introduction to the Safety Digest, Andrew Moll, MAIB (Interim) Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents says,
“Anyone who knows me will already be aware that I like simplicity. There is seldom anything simple about a marine accident, but to my mind there are usually three recurring components: an underlying weakness or vulnerability in the system (which includes the people); a trigger event or additional stressor Continue reading “Safety digest with twenty four case studies published by MAIB”

Maersk sets new guidelines on dangerous cargo stowage following Honam tragedy

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The Risk Based Dangerous Goods Stowage principles have been developed to minimise risk to crew, cargo, environment and vessel in case a fire develops. The different container vessel designs were reviewed from a risk mitigation perspective and ultimately six different risk zones defined.
The Risk Based Dangerous Goods Stowage principles have been developed to minimise risk to crew, cargo, environment and vessel in case a fire develops. The different container vessel designs were reviewed from a risk mitigation perspective and ultimately six different risk zones defined.

In the aftermath of the major fire that killed five crew members onboard the ‘Maersk Honam’ in March 2018, Danish container ship giant Maersk has conducted a thorough review of their current safety practices and policies with reference to the stowage of dangerous cargo. Consequently, Maersk has now announced the implementation of new guidelines to improve safety across its container vessel fleet.

On 6 March 2018, the container ship ‘Maersk Honam’ suffered a serious fire in its cargo hold where dangerous goods were carried, but up to this time, there is no evidence to suggest that dangerous goods caused the fire, the company noted. In addition, all cargo was accepted as per the requirements of the IMDG Code and stowed onboard the vessel accordingly.

Following the tragic incident, Maersk took measures and implemented additional preliminary guidelines for stowage of dangerous goods. The company evaluated over 3,000 UN numbers of hazardous materials in order to further understand and improve dangerous cargo stowage onboard container vessels and developed a new set of principles called ‘Risk Based Dangerous Goods Stowage’.

Together with ABS, Maersk called for a workshop with other industry stakeholders to conduct a Continue reading “Maersk sets new guidelines on dangerous cargo stowage following Honam tragedy”

Unique identifiers for human-powered and small sail vessels can be exempt says AMSA

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AMSA recognised that requiring a unique identifier for every human-powered vessel and sailing vessels less than 7.5 metres, may not be practical for some operators, particularly operators with a high number of unpowered vessels that are replaced frequently.
AMSA recognised that requiring a unique identifier for every human-powered vessel and sailing vessels less than 7.5 metres, may not be practical for some operators, particularly operators with a high number of unpowered vessels that are replaced frequently.

From 1 September 2018, owners of human-powered and sailing vessels less than 7.5 metres can be exempt from having to get a unique identifier for each vessel, if a certificate of operation covers the vessels.

Alternatively, owners may choose to continue to apply for a unique identifier for each vessel and remain exempt from having a certificate of operation. The unique identifier does not need to be displayed on the vessel.

AMSA recognised that requiring a unique identifier for every human-powered vessel and sailing vessels less than 7.5 metres, may not be practical for some operators, particularly operators with a high number of unpowered vessels that are replaced frequently.

Exemption 1 allows greater flexibility around the unique identifier requirements for human-powered and small sailing vessels covered by a certificate of operation

The change to Exemption 1 means that owners of human-powered vessels and sailing vessels less than 7.5 metres will have now have Continue reading “Unique identifiers for human-powered and small sail vessels can be exempt says AMSA”

Problems associated with hidden engine room hot spots

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It is recommended to enhance prevention and protection against such fires and that a proactive inspection and evaluation programme is incorporated as part of the ongoing planned maintenance schedule to ensure all piping systems and equipment is maintained corrected and that design is appropriate.
It is recommended to enhance prevention and protection against such fires and that a proactive inspection and evaluation programme is incorporated as part of the ongoing planned maintenance schedule to ensure all piping systems and equipment is maintained corrected and that design is appropriate.

Article written by Joe Maguire, Technical Manager at Skuld P&I Club. The Club would like to draw attention to the continued dangers of fires which originate in the machinery space. Specifically, where the cause of the fire is as a result of a flammable liquid spraying onto a hot surface.

Typical root causes for such incidents have been identified as:
– Missing pipe brackets/supports on oil systems leading to increased vibrations and subsequent cracks or even breakage of the oil piping system.
– Missing cup over the fuel injector valve.
– Original insulation or screening of hot surfaces was not maintained correctly.
– Original insulation or screening of hot surfaces was not sufficient for preventing oil spray onto hot surfaces.
– Insulation soaked with oil caught fire when sufficiently heated up.
– Oil leakages from engine components like exhaust valve indicators spraying onto the exhaust manifold.

It is recommended to enhance prevention and protection against such fires and that a proactive Continue reading “Problems associated with hidden engine room hot spots”

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