A vessel was lying alongside loading cargo. The Chief Officer called the engine control room (ECR) to ask the duty engineer to start an extra auxiliary engine so he could begin to ballast the vessel. The oiler answered the phone in the ECR and went to look for the Third Engineer to tell him to start the second auxiliary engine.
The Third Engineer called the Chief Officer and told him that the second auxiliary engine was online and that he could start the ballast operation. Ten minutes later, a huge explosion was heard in the engine room. The Third Engineer could see flames and smoke coming from the auxiliary engines.
The Third Engineer escaped from the ECR, and when he was outside the engine room, he broke the glass for the fire alarm and activated it. At the same time, the vessel blacked out, but 15 seconds later, the emergency generator kicked in, and the power came back on. All engines were stopped.
Read more about this case in the latest Monthly Safety Scenario.
For more Loss Prevention information, please contact:
Joakim Enström, Loss Prevention Officer
E-mail: joakim.enstrom@swedishclub.com
Each month the Club’s Loss Prevention team issues a new safety scenario to assist members in their efforts to comply with international safety regulations and follow best practices.
When discussing the case, please consider that the actions taken at the time made sense for all involved. Do not only judge but also ask why you think these actions were taken and could this happen on your vessel?