Fatigue and “Familiar” Work Blamed for Serious Crew Injuries

Maritime investigators in New Zealand have revealed how a crew of a bulk carrier that was performing what was supposed to be a familiar task ended up with serious burns following an explosion in a boiler. The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) released its investigation report on the explosion that occurred in the engine room of bulker Olivia at South Port, Bluff, in May last year, citing the crew’s familiarity with the task, fatigue, and a lack of communication as contributing to the injuries.

Three crewmembers who were cleaning the ship’s boiler were injured, two with serious burns. The report shows the crew was performing what was supposed to be familiar work, but failed to take into account that the task was being carried out in different conditions.

According to the investigation, the 180-meter vessel had been in port for 32 days for extensive maintenance and repairs. Repeated attempts to restart a boiler burner had failed. On the day of the incident, May 24, a crew working a night shift was using an air lance, a long tube connected to a compressed air hose, to direct a jet of air to clear soot to resolve the problem.

This story was originally published by The Maritime Executive. Read the full story at The Maritime Executive →