Tanker Explosion in UAE

[GuinnessMan]

Hello!

Sadly there has been a major accident in the UAE on a tanker. Story i've read and heard so far is that over 100 folks where on board the "Prem Divya" doing maintenance whilst she was in ballast condition. I think the photo's below say the rest. At present there are three dead and half the crew are in a hotel ashore, half aboard. I'm sure those who have been on a tanker will have a fair idea as to what has gone on.

Just to play teacher a little for some of our cadets. This is why we have safety procedures, this is why we have an Safety Management System, this is why we have checklists (especially for hot work) and THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD USE THEM.

[Ducki52]

Ye gods, I've seen armoured vehicles in some pretty sorry states, but nothing compared to this. Is this caused by fumes exploding or something?

[size4riggerboots]

Yikes. Just when I was thinking that I'd even take a job on a tanker... No I think I'll stick to ships that don't carry a million tonnes of stuff that goes BOOM if you get it a bit wrong. I'm not planning on getting it wrong, I just don't necessarily trust the rest of them not to.

[YoungMariner]

Ah, so thats how you make a bigger window in your cabin.

Joking aside, RIP for the 3, I imagine this is a tough time for their families.

[GuinnessMan]

As a rough guess (and knowing that this has happened before) I can make a guess / assumption or two: -

AA) Vessel was in ballast condition, therefore no cargo on board. However, if they hadn't washed their tanks then there is a good chance that there was cargo residue on all the bulkheads and sloshing around the bottom of the tank (pumps don't get it all).

BB) Therefore, as the ship was in the position above, that cargo residue would lead to a lovely set of fumes within the tanks. As maintenance, especially hotwork, was going to be taking place, then I would have expected the tanks to be gas free.

CC) I also suspect that the tanks were not gas tested or that the gas meter was defective prior to the hot-work being carried out, which is probably in contravention of their SMS.

DD) However, it may not have been the cargo tank that was the first to explode. Look at the damage. They could have been welding around the slop tanks or the pump room and that was the seat of the blast.

It will inevitably be a simple mistake or oversight which caused this. The last one was, and neither will this be the last. However don't let that put you off tankers as it is very rare for this sort of accident to happen. It's like winning the lottery....

However, If I was the Chief Officer and Master and I survived this, then chances are I would be ****ting myself at this very moment....

[Ducki52]

As a rough guess (and knowing that this has happened before) I can make a guess / assumption or two: -

AA) Vessel was in ballast condition, therefore no cargo on board. However, if they hadn't washed their tanks then there is a good chance that there was cargo residue on all the bulkheads and sloshing around the bottom of the tank (pumps don't get it all).

BB) Therefore, as the ship was in the position above, that cargo residue would lead to a lovely set of fumes within the tanks. As maintenance, especially hotwork, was going to be taking place, then I would have expected the tanks to be gas free.

CC) I also suspect that the tanks were not gas tested or that the gas meter was defective prior to the hot-work being carried out, which is probably in contravention of their SMS.

DD) However, it may not have been the cargo tank that was the first to explode. Look at the damage. They could have been welding around the slop tanks or the pump room and that was the seat of the blast.

It will inevitably be a simple mistake or oversight which caused this. The last one was, and neither will this be the last. However don't let that put you off tankers as it is very rare for this sort of accident to happen. It's like winning the lottery....

However, If I was the Chief Officer and Master and I survived this, then chances are I would be ****ting myself at this very moment....

Are the Chief and Master (or Master and Chief) still responsible for permits to work and checking areas are safe and gas free etc even when its being maintained and full of dockyard maties (and presumably their supervisors)?

[GuinnessMan]

Are the Chief and Master (or Master and Chief) still responsible for permits to work and checking areas are safe and gas free etc even when its being maintained and full of dockyard maties (and presumably their supervisors)?

Short answer, yes. Master and Designated Safety Officer (normally Ch.Off) are responsible for safety and PTW at all times regardless of where the ship is and what it's doing.

When doing hot-work on deck, gas freeing is critical! This is why PTW's exist!

[YoungMariner]

Thats actually dependant on the yard and the contract agreed, but actually in my experience of drydock contracts the yard does take full responsibility and have complete control of all Permits to Work and Safety Procedures (through their own approved system). Some yards even require you to use their own fireman standing by hotwork. Once on the blocks, the laws applied become blurred as well.

I would consider that a number of management related errors will be highlighted in this situation, both yard and ship related. Almost all faults can be stemmed back to a companies polices and procedures.

[GuinnessMan]

From what I see the Ship wasn't in the yard. It was a floating repair jobby, but I can see where you're coming from....

[anilrai]

Now here is the explosion on a tanker causing main deck blown away and exposing a mammoth black- hole underneath. This also exposes a massive hole and stinking rot in Safety consciousness on board the ship in particular and deep within the company in general. Someone somewhere acted stupid, shirked away from his responsibility or worse still that he didn't know his responsibility in real sense, buckled under commercial pressure, got intimidated by over-demanding and un-satiated superintendent, thought that this can not happen to him, thought that he has done such acts many times before and got away with it- at least got away 600 times before his deplorable sense of bravado cost someone his life.
Here onwards, something like this may happen - Investigation will be carried out, real truth will become the casualty, some abstract reason will be blamed as the cause, some abstract corrective action will be taken, media will be manipulated, PR bouncers will go in overdrive and try to muzzle the story and very soon it will get consigned to the dustbin and the body & all the dreams of those unfortunate daily-wage workers who lost their lives will get consigned to funeral pyre or buried forever, leaving behind their dependents teary-eyed.
Is this what the sailors now a days bargain for when they choose to join the ship? Is this the kind of adventure which we are looking for in high-seas?
May the departed souls rest in peace ! and God give the courage to their near and dear ones to bear the irrecoverable loss.

[tlloyd1983]

Owner was Anglo-Eastern.

[GuinnessMan]

Owner was Anglo-Eastern.

Manager is Anglo-Eastern. They may manage the vessel, they may not own it!

[tlloyd1983]

True. I meant manager. Mercator Limited is the listed owner.

[GuinnessMan]

Small update!

Whilst playing about on youtube came across these three videos of the Prem Divya. Pretty surprising stuff. Look like one of the rear-most tanks (possibly slop tanks) went up and then the cargo tank next to it. Anywho, take a look for yourselves. I'd recommend having the sound off on the first one as all you can really hear are some dickheads laughing thinking it's funny...