Hazards should be analysed carefully in order to create a proper procedure. The Nautical Institute gives this warning in its latest Mars Report after a crew member suffered severe burns while conducting maintenance for which no procedure was in place.
The Nautical Institute gathers reports of maritime accidents and near-misses. It then publishes these so-called Mars (Mariners’ Alerting and Reporting Scheme) Reports (anonymously) to prevent other accidents from happening. This is one of these reports.
A tanker was underway and normal maintenance activities were being accomplished. An engine room crew member was tasked with opening the steam valve that leads to the deck in order to recirculate excess steam.
This had been common practice on board for the last nine years, ever since one of the heavy fuel oil (HFO) bunker tanks had been modified to Marine Gas Oil (MGO). Since that modification, the excess steam could not be sufficiently cooled by the existing dump/drain cooler when the vessel was running at maximum RPM. The practice of recirculating it through the deck steam piping had been adopted as a solution.
Also read: Chemical burn on ship due to inadequate PPE
The valve was located in the engine room in an area that required the crew to climb up and into a restricted space. When the crew was in position he began opening the valve, and was suddenly exposed to copious amounts of steam. It was later discovered that the valve gasket had failed, probably due to the “water hammer” effect.
The victim suffered from severe skin burns on his face, leg, and arm. He was immediately transferred to the ship’s hospital and first aid treatment was provided. The master communicated with radiomedics and the victim was transferred ashore for medical care the same day. After eleven days of hospitalisation, he was repatriated home for further treatment and recovery.
Investigation findings
The company investigation found that the instructions on how to accomplish line draining prior to opening the steam valve were inadequate. The crew completed the task as best they remembered based on their own knowledge. Ultimately, formalised instructions are needed to ensure that the steam supply line is free of water before opening the valve to avoid the water hammer effect.
Also read: Crew member without PPE suffers hot sludge burns
Advice from The Nautical Institute
- New hazards can emerge when modifications are undertaken. In this case, it took nine years for the hazard to be revealed.
- New hazards or old (hidden) ones need careful analysis. Then, a procedure should be written and dutifully practised.
Also read: Junior engineer suffers severe burns in boiler accident
Mars Reports
This accident was covered in the Mars Reports, originally published as Mars 202444, that are part of Report Number 382. A selection of the Mars Reports are also published in the SWZ|Maritime magazine. The Nautical Institute compiles these reports to help prevent maritime accidents. That is why they are also published (in full) on SWZ|Maritime’s website.
More reports are needed to keep the scheme interesting and informative. All reports are read only by the Mars coordinator and are treated in the strictest confidence. To submit a report, please use the Mars report form.
