Real Life Incident: Crew Members Killed In Ballast Tank Explosion

While at anchor, the crew was engaged in cleaning and painting the topside ballast tank as part of an ongoing maintenance programme.

The tank had been opened some days before; the mate tested the tank for oxygen level a few times and found it to be 21 per cent.

After approximately two hours of painting with a spray gun, applying epoxy paint with thinners, an explosion blew the tank apart. Five crew members died and three were missing.

Root cause/contributory factors

The epoxy paint contained more than 30 per cent thinners. Spray painting using such a mixture can create vapour concentrations within the explosive range of the mixtureÅfs compounds;
The tank was ventilated using a fan blowing air through a manhole and a compressed air line situated in the tank, which was inadequate.
A cargo light was used to illuminate the work area, which was not intrinsically safe/explosion proof.

Lessons learnt

The crew needs to be aware of the potential for an explosion when spray painting.
The safety management system should set out procedures for painting in enclosed spaces.
Material safety data sheets, which provide flash points, explosive limits and ignition points for the paint base, hardener and thinner, should be understood by the crew on board.

Editor’s note: It is unsafe to introduce a compressed air hose into any space that may, even remotely, have a flammable air and gas or air and vapour mixture. These are difficult to earth electrically, and the release of compressed air from their open ends has a high potential to generate an electrical spark.

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