Part 1 - Merchant Vessels - Marine Accident Investigation Branch

CASE 16
Is the Forward Store a Dangerous Space?
Narrative
A general cargo ship was loaded with ‘steel
turnings’ in rainy conditions. The cargo was
not trimmed or compacted in the hold and was
noted to be ‘steaming’ before the hatch covers
were closed (Figure 1). Conflicting information
was provided to the master as to whether the
cargo was dangerous; however the master
treated the cargo as benign scrap metal.
A few days into the voyage, with the ship
pitching heavily in gale force winds and high
seas, two crewmen were repairing the cabin
flooring in a crew cabin. The two men went
unseen over the open deck, probably to
fetch more tools for the job, and entered the
forward store. Once inside, they closed the
door behind them and climbed down the
stairs into the store. The two men were very
quickly asphyxiated, as the amount of oxygen
available in the compartment had been
significantly depleted.
Figure 1: Cargo of ferrous metal turnings
The plight of the two men was not discovered
until a few hours later following a search that
was initiated when they did not join the other
crew for dinner. The chief officer’s reaction
was to enter the store immediately to attempt
to rescue the men. He was fortunate to be
able to retreat to the deck when he felt dizzy
and unwell.
The forward store’s oxygen-depleted air was
caused by the heavily oxidised cargo. The
cargo hold was connected to the forward
store by holed ventilation ducts that ran to the
closed mushroom vent on the forward deck
(Figure 2). The forward store was unventilated
because it had been tightly secured for the
expected heavy weather. The heavy pitching
motion had caused the ship to pant, equalising
the atmosphere of the two adjacent spaces.
44 MAIB Safety Digest 1/2012