UK P&I Club launches Lessons Learnt video on enclosed space refrigeration maintenance incident

Nov 25 2021


UK P&I Club has released its latest video in a series of award-winning reflective training videos, based on a real-life incident where two men narrowly escaped serious injury while testing an emergency fire pump.

The animated video depicts the situation where as part of a third-party survey, the surveyor, with the assistance of the chief engineer, were carrying out a test on the emergency fire pump. This was located in a recessed well in the steering gear compartment, approximately three metres deep and accessed by an inclined stairway. 

 

Shortly after descending into the fire pump well, the chief engineer urgently ordered the surveyor to get out. By the time both men reached the steering compartment deck, they were experiencing symptoms of dizziness, due to exposure to diffused Freon refrigerant gas, with the chief engineer in a state of near collapse. They were taken on deck into fresh air by other crew members and recovered soon afterwards.

 

An investigation into the incident revealed that maintenance had recently been carried out on the provision store refrigeration machinery located in the steering flat. During this work, Freon refrigerant gas from the plant must have been released into the space and migrated into the pump well displacing breathable air.

 

Stuart Edmonston, Loss Prevention Director at UK P&I Club, said:

“While in this case both men were able to escape from the space unharmed, incidents like these, which are often fatal, are still too common across the maritime industry. If the ladder had not been inclined but vertical, as is more usually the case, they may not have exited the well before passing out.

 

“The purpose of our interactive training videos is to improve standards and safety at sea, prompting crew and ship operators to question and evaluate if such incidents could happen on their ship, and how they can greatly decrease the risks.”

 

The series of videos provide an interactive training experience with a focus on educating crew members on common marine accidents or oversights and how to mitigate the risk of them occurring.

 

Hosted across Thomas Miller websites, the videos are available to view for training purposes by both marine employers and their employees.

 

 

 



Previous: Thome wins Secretary General award from The Mission to Seafarers

Next: Ship stranded off Bulgarian Coast near Park "Yailata"


Related News

KR awards Type Approval for direct CO2 measurement system on vessels

(May 12 2022)

Korean Register (KR) has awarded Singapore-based Marine Technology Solution Pte Ltd a Type Approval certificate for their direct and continuous CO2 emission measurement system called CARBON LENS.



NTSB determines cause of grounding of tanker in New Orleans

(Apr 21 2022)

The decision to overtake a tow in a large river bend occupied by multiple vessels during high-river conditions led to the grounding of a tanker and contact with river intake fender systems in New Orleans, Louisiana, the National Transportation Safety...



PETRONAS Marine and Titan LNG partner again for another successful STS

(Apr 14 2022)

World-leading independent alternative fuels supplier, Titan LNG has partnered with PETRONAS Marine – the marine solutions arm of energy multinational, PETRONAS, to deliver LNG under a Term Supply Agreement to VLCC Yuan Rui Yang, chartered by Koch Ind...



‘Ammonia Prepared’ class notation for Geogas LPG carriers ordered at HMD

(Mar 17 2022)

Bureau Veritas (BV), a world leader in testing, inspection, and certification, is supporting the classification and construction at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD) in the Republic of Korea of two 40,000 cbm LPG carriers that will be ‘ammonia prepared’.



IRS CAP certification of VLCCs and LPGs of MOL

(Mar 03 2022)

Indian Register of Shipping has successfully completed Condition Assessment Programme (CAP) certification of four vessels of MOL Tankship Management Pte. Ltd., Singapore.



June July 2025

Tanker Operator Athens report - MEPC 83 explained - decarbonisation by Norwegian shipowners