The UK P&I Club issued important lessons learned following a fatality caused by entry into cargo holds, advising that these holds should always be treated as enclosed spaces.
The incident
As discharge of a cargo of coal progressed, the level in one of the cargo holds had lowered to the point where stevedores needed to enter for cargo trimming operations using bulldozers. The cargo hold ladders were completely enclosed within a trunk, with openings at the main deck and at the lower part of the hold only.
In accordance with shipboard SMS procedures, it was necessary for the crew to arrange ventilation and testing of the trunk space atmosphere prior to permitting entry of personnel. The third officer instructed two crew members to open the cargo hold access hatch and install a ventilation fan at the entrance, a task which should not normally have required the crew to enter the hold.
When the third officer arrived with the portable gas instrument, he saw the hatch open but the fan was not running. He then noticed that both crew members were lying unconscious on the hold ladder platforms within the trunk. The alarm was raised and rescue of the crew members was performed using self-contained breathing apparatus. Unfortunately, one crew member died and the other, although resuscitated, suffered effects of gas poisoning and oxygen starvation.
Analysis
It is not known why the crew found it necessary to enter the hold as the surviving crew member had no recollection of the incident. However, this tragedy highlights the dangers associated with unplanned entry into cargo holds which should always be treated as enclosed spaces, particularly when loaded with cargoes which may deplete oxygen and/or emit flammable gasses and/or toxic gasses.
Coal is a cargo which can present all of these hazards. Although the hold access trunk serves the purpose of protecting the ladders from stevedore damage, the very restricted space created with only limited openings increases the hazard to personnel, particularly when considering that the lower opening may be obstructed with cargo.
Lessons Learnt
