Fisherman died after inhaling carbon monoxide from portable pump
A crewman who collapsed on the “Starlight Rays” in August 2011 and never regained consciousness was poisoned by carbon monoxide, a report into his death has found. He and two other crew members were airlifted to hospital from the vessel which was on stand-by for the oil industry in the Devenick field, about 150 miles east of Aberdeen, but one man died.
The fisherman was trying to use a portable, petrol engine-driven pump to remove oily water from a compartment inside the boat’s fish hold. The hold did not have mechanical ventilation and had little circulation of natural air, causing high levels of carbon monoxide to build up, a report by the Marine Accidents Investigations Branch found.
The other two men were also overcome by the fumes as they tried to rescue their colleague but they recovered. The report said the accident demonstrated “inadequate consideration and control of hazardous work activities on board the ‘Starlight Rays'”. It said crewmen need to be more aware of the dangers of working in enclosed spaces, and has sent a safety flyer to the fishing industry.
It recommended that the owner and skippers of the “Starlight Rays” improve safety standards onboard by making sure any portable engine-driven pumps are operated in accordance with guidance from the Maritime and Coastal Agency. They also decided that the crew needs to be educated, and supervised by the owners, to prevent them from adopting dangerous practices.
Source: Vesseltracker
