Fire safety on ferries guide issued by the Standard P&I Club

To raise awareness, the Standard P&I Club has published a 36 page guide about fire risks on ferries.
To raise awareness, the Standard P&I Club has published a 36 page guide about fire risks on ferries.

To raise awareness, the Standard P&I Club has published a 36 page guide about fire risks on ferries. This type of ship presents particular risks due to the cargo onboard, including cars, lorries and refrigerated containers. All of these have combustible material and are fire hazards in their own right.

There are numerous causes of fire but the most relevant ones to ferries are:

– Electrical defects, such as overloaded electrical equipment, damaged cables and poorly formed connections. – Electrical faults in vehicles, especially when engines are hot/running. Reefer containers are major sources of fire.
– Mechanical failure, such as ignition from overheated bearings or a catastrophic engine failure.
– Uncontrolled release of oil or flammable liquid coming into contact with a hot surface, or the release of a low flashpoint fuel, such as petrol vapour, coming into contact with a source of ignition.
– Dry, readily combustible materials (such as wood, paper, textiles) coming into contact with an ignition source, – such as a lighted cigarette, sparks or conducted heat from burning or cutting, highintensity lights or defective electrical equipment.

Things to do Continue reading “Fire safety on ferries guide issued by the Standard P&I Club”

Flexible mobdock repair method for underwater shaft seal repairs developed by Hydrex

Diver/technician re-welding the rope guard after shaft seal replacement
Diver/technician re-welding the rope guard after shaft seal replacement

Hydrex has developed a flexible mobdock repair method that enables the underwater replacement of all types and sizes of shaft seals. This technology has been successfully used by Hydrex diver/technicians for over a decade. It allows ship owners to keep their vessel sailing, saving precious time and money.

Damaged stern tube seals will cause an increasing amount of oil leaking or water ingress as the damage worsens. By replacing the seals when the damage is first discovered, Hydrex keeps the down time low. The ship can keep its schedule as seal repairs can be performed during cargo operations. This is done by creating a dry underwater working environment around the shaft.

It is not always straightforward to replace seals, because there can be quite a bit of variation in the configurations of the stern tube itself. There can also be complications with the liners, which can be worn down and show ruts. All this is routinely handled by Hydrex teams on the jobs.

In this article you can find a short summary of some of the recent Continue reading “Flexible mobdock repair method for underwater shaft seal repairs developed by Hydrex”

AMSA takes control of domestic commercial vessels

All domestic commercial vessels are required to have a national law certificate of survey unless an exemption applies.
All domestic commercial vessels are required to have a national law certificate of survey unless an exemption applies.

AMSA, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and regulator, has announced that from 1 July 2018 all domestic commercial vessels that are required to have a certificate of survey will need to be surveyed in accordance with the frequency and requirements in the new marine order 503, and Part 2 of the Marine Surveyor Manual. This includes ‘grandfathered’ vessels, which to date have been surveyed in accordance with the National Standards for the Administration of Marine Safety (NSAMS) 4, the USL Code, or other survey processes.

So what does this mean in practice?

These changes implement the outcomes of the Decision Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) under the National System for Domestic Continue reading “AMSA takes control of domestic commercial vessels”

North P&I: The appointment of a experienced surveyor is vital

North of England P&I Club has elected to publish a briefing document providing best advice leading to the minimisation of the risk of cargo damage
North of England P&I Club has elected to publish a briefing document providing best advice leading to the minimisation of the risk of cargo damage

Several problems can arise when transporting steel cargoes by sea which could easily be resolved by having the vessel be surveyed by an experienced surveyor before departure reports North P&I. The more common issues can be broadly categorised as mechanical damage, or rust-related problems. Indeed, in many cases the damage occurs before it is even loaded onto the carrying vessel. North of England P&I Club has elected to publish a briefing document providing best advice leading to the minimisation of the risk of cargo damage.

Common issues that can result in damage to the cargo include poor handling, substandard stowage and securing, water ingress into the hold and improper hold ventilation.

Key issues

Pre-shipment condition: It is not uncommon for steel cargoes to Continue reading “North P&I: The appointment of a experienced surveyor is vital”

Green light to adopt Methanol given as a sustainable marine fuel

Topic areas of the project’s final reports include the technical feasibility of converting vessels to propulsion using Methanol
Topic areas of the project’s final reports include the technical feasibility of converting vessels to propulsion using Methanol

The Methanol Institute has welcomed the findings of the Sustainable Marine Methanol (SUMMETH) project, which has backed the increased use of Methanol as a marine fuel.

The research concluded that there are no obstacles to the efficient use of Methanol in a converted diesel engine and that smaller vessel conversion projects are feasible and cost-effective, with levels of safety that easily meet existing requirements.

Switching to Methanol would offer immediate environmental benefits, including close to zero SOx and particulate matter emissions and significantly lower NOx emissions compared to conventional marine fuels or biodiesel.

Continue reading “Green light to adopt Methanol given as a sustainable marine fuel”

Specialist rescue system for overboard crew launched

One of the rescued crewmembers with a life jacket on
One of the rescued crewmembers with a life jacket on

A specialist system to rescue crew members who fall overboard has been developed by boat builder Goodchild Marine Services.

The Man Overboard Recovery Platform (MOB) has been designed to reduce the risk of cardiac arrest in anyone that has fallen overboard by lifting the casualty horizontally rather than vertically.

“This has become one of our bestselling products with widespread interest in the UK and abroad,” said Alan Goodchild, Goodchild Marine MD.

“Key features include an automatically-hinged propeller guard to prevent injury to the casualty, manual back-up and self-cleaning tracks.

Continue reading “Specialist rescue system for overboard crew launched”

Fire onboard ‘BBC Xingang’ stresses hazards with hot work

The damage caused to the BBC Xingang
The damage caused to the BBC Xingang

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has published its investigation report on the fire onboard the general cargo ship ‘BBC Xingang’, while berthed at Mayfield number four berth in Newcastle, New South Wales, in December 2017. The incident highlights that, prior to hot work, cargo coverings should be carefully assessed and adequate protection against damage or fire due to hot material should be provided.

The incident
At about 0600 on 11 December, a site supervisor and a boilermaker from a local engineering firm (Varley) boarded the ship. The process of Continue reading “Fire onboard ‘BBC Xingang’ stresses hazards with hot work”

BSU report shows that MSC Katrina fire was caused by self-heating

The MSC Katerina
The MSC Katerina

The German Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation has released its reports about two non-connected fires on container ships. The MSC Katrina was in the Elbe estuary when the fire was detected on 20 November 2015. The second ship, the Ludwigshafen Express was in the Red Sea when fire was noticed during an inspection in February 2016.

The first incident

The MSC Katrina was located in the Elbe estuary when its smoke detection system discovered fire. As a result, the Central Command for Maritime Emergencies had the ability to deploy specially trained firefighters.

Continue reading “BSU report shows that MSC Katrina fire was caused by self-heating”

Key errors leading to inaccuracies in draught surveys

Side of a solid bulk cargo
Side of a solid bulk cargo

The West of England P&I Club has said that it regularly receives claims arising from alleged shortages of solid bulk cargoes as a result of discrepancies between draught survey results. Draught surveys by their very nature are not an exact science and the accuracy of the calculated cargo figure may vary typically by between 0.5% and 1.0%. However, there are occasions when considerable differences in the cargo figures derived from the draught surveys have been obtained.

The commonly forgotten weights are:

– Bilge water present in the cargo holds, machinery spaces, duct keel, void spaces and the chain lockers.
Continue reading “Key errors leading to inaccuracies in draught surveys”

Propulsion system being prepared for Australian icebreaker Nuyina

An artist's impression of Nuyina, Australia's new icebreaker
An artist’s impression of Nuyina, Australia’s new icebreaker

More than 8,600 tons of steel has now been shaped, welded and assembled into the hull of Australia’s new icebreaker RSV Nuyina.

A few key pieces of the ship’s propulsion system have recently arrived at the Damen Shipyard at Galati, including the propellers, propeller hubs and the sterntubes.

RSV Nuyina, will make her maiden voyage to Antarctica in 2020-21. The ship will be the main lifeline to Australia’s three Antarctic research stations and its sub-Antarctic station on Macquarie Island, and will support Australia’s leadership role in Antarctic and Southern Continue reading “Propulsion system being prepared for Australian icebreaker Nuyina”

Stainless steel bolts at offshore facility fail due to corrosion cracking

A number of strain-hardened, Type 304 stainless steel bolts, (ASTM A193 B8, Class 2) failed unexpectedly at an offshore facility
A number of strain-hardened, Type 304 stainless steel bolts, (ASTM A193 B8, Class 2) failed unexpectedly at an offshore facility

The International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) published an alert regarding an unexpected failure of certain kinds of strain-hardened Type 304 stainless steel bolts. The failure happened at an offshore facility during a pneumatic leak test of gas piping exiting a test separator.

The incident

A number of strain-hardened, Type 304 stainless steel bolts, (ASTM A193 B8, Class 2) failed unexpectedly at an offshore facility while a pneumatic leak test of gas piping exiting a test separator was being conducted.

Strain-hardening austenitic stainless steel nuts and bolts to increase their strength may increase their sensitivity to chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking (CISCC) and reduce their safe upper temperature limit. Other factors such as Continue reading “Stainless steel bolts at offshore facility fail due to corrosion cracking”

Ethylene vapors activate carbon monoxide alarm says safety alert

A certified marine chemist traced the source of the vapors to an eight inch crack on a cargo vapor line
A certified marine chemist traced the source of the vapors to an eight inch crack on a cargo vapor line

The USCG has published a safety alert informing marine inspectors that ethylene vapors on LNG carriers can activate Carbon Monoxide alarms. Specifically, during an examination of a LNG carrier whose cargo tanks contained ethylene vapors, PSC Officers (PSCOs) received alarms on their portable four gas meters giving a reading of 60 to 100 parts per-million (PPM) Carbon Monoxide (CO).

A certified marine chemist traced the source of the vapors to an eight inch crack on a cargo vapor line. PSCOs initially thought the alarm was related to a combustion event and did not suspect the ethylene vapors were the source, because they did not get a Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) reading on their monitors.

The chemist indicated that the LEL most likely never alarmed because of high winds on deck. He further explained that the molecular weight of Ethylene (28 g/mol) was identical to the molecular weight of CO which accounted for the CO PPM readings. USCG personnel contacted the manufacturer who confirmed that Continue reading “Ethylene vapors activate carbon monoxide alarm says safety alert”

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