Engine room gets flooded during ballasting operations
Challenges faced and Lessons to be learned Confidential Hazardous Incident Reporting Programme (CHIRP) has received a report regarding a vessel's engine room getting flooded while conducting ballasting operations.Report text:"A vessel was conducting ballasting operations concurrent with discharging cargo. The vessel is equipped with steel ballast pipe work installed in a ring main configuration."The Chief Officer had joined the vessel as an emergency relief and had recently received the handover from an experienced Master. This was his first trip on this class of vessel."I was concerned that the ballasting operation was falling behind and would not be completed in time for the vessel's departure - and so a second ballast pump was started at this request. This was a deviation from approved operating procedures and was not discussed with the Master or Chief Engineer. However, ballasting operations were completed well before the completion of discharge. With adequate time in hand a decision was taken to educt a cofferdam that had approximately 90cm of water in it. This was a further deviation from approved operating procedures."On completion of educting operations, the ballast main was filled directly from No. 1 ballast tank (forward from most tanks) which contained water to a depth of ...
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