In its monthly Safety Flashes, IMCA notes an incident where fuel oil hose burst during bunkering operations.
The case
During bunkering a vessel in port, a 2” fuel oil hose burst. The hose burst as the fuel transfer rate was increased at the start of the operation. Around 30-50 litres of fuel oil were spilled on the jetty.
Owing to the quick reactions of the Master and crew, no fuel went overboard.
What was the cause?
IMCA notes that this is a preliminary cause and investigation is ongoing. The reason for the failure has yet to be confirmed; the hose had recently undergone a third-party test and certification.
A suggestion raised was that the fuel oil hose had been damaged over long periods of time by being stowed in an improper coiled position due to its length (longer than the deck stowing location).
Recommendation
- Inspect cargo hose stowage and consider whether those that are stowed in a coiled position, need to be moved or changed in position more frequently so as to avoid damage / kinks in the same location.
