In the early hours of 25 March
2021, a fire broke out in the lower cargo hold of the general cargo ship BBC
Rhonetal while it was alongside Port Hedland number two berth. The
fire started during hot work to remove sea fastenings from the tween deck in
preparation for cargo discharge operations.
Immediate efforts by the crew
to extinguish the fire with deck hoses were unsuccessful and all persons safely
evacuated the area before the hatch covers were closed and carbon dioxide using
the ship’s fixed fire extinguishing system was released into the cargo hold.
Shoreside fire authorities responded to the emergency and monitored the
situation until the fire was declared extinguished on the morning of 28 March.
What the ATSB found
The ATSB found that the risk
of fire had not been adequately assessed by the crew prior to
the commencement of the hot work. As a result, a continuous fire watch was not
maintained and proper precautions were not taken to sufficiently protect
vulnerable cargo from catching alight.
The ATSB also found that BBC
Rhonetal’s managers had not effectively implemented the shipboard safety
management system procedures to prevent the fire, which was the tenth such fire
on a ship managed under the same parent company in the past 14 years, and the
fourth investigated by the ATSB, identifying similar contributing factors.
What has been done as a result
BBC Rhonetal’s managers
advised the ATSB that shipboard procedures for hot work will be amended to
better describe the fire watch role, emphasising its importance in fire
prevention. Fire watch requirements will be integrated into the hot work permit
procedure and additional equipment for the fire watch is to be distributed
across the fleet. The company also intends to educate ship crews on the amended
procedures and the additional equipment through a training video with
shore-based staff further reiterating safe hot work practices during shipboard
inspections.
The ATSB considers that the
proposed safety action has the potential to address the safety issue concerning
the hot work procedures. However, as no timeline for implementation was
provided, the ATSB issued formal recommendations to BBC Rhonetal’s managers,
and the parent company, that the proposed safety action be implemented across
their fleets.
Safety message
The continuing incidence of
fires in the cargo holds of ships while performing hot work highlights the
importance of adhering to shipboard procedures and recognised safe work
guidelines for hot work.
Ship operators and managers
must ensure that their safety management system protocols for hot work are
suitable and properly implemented on board their ships. This requires regular
verification that ships’ crew understand and follow prescribed safe work
practices for hot work.
For more details, click on the below image to download full report.
https://maritimecyprus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ATSB-Fire-onboard-BBC-Rhonetal-2022_09.pdf
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