Accident on board Estelle Maersk
SHIPPING: The Division for Investigation of Maritime Accidents at the Danish Maritime Authority, has issued a report about an accident on board the container ship Estelle Maersk, 30. October 2009. Two engineers became seriously injured when hit by hot fuel oil splashing out during work on the main engine.
Whilst the container ship Estelle Maersk was at anchor off Yantian, China, it was decided to dismantle one of the main engine's 14 fuel injection control units (ICU) in order to repair a minor fuel oil leakage from the sealing between the ICU and the fuel oil rail to which it is connected.
The job was to be carried out by the ship's 2nd engineer, 3rd engineer and a cadet. No "Safe Job Analysis" or work risk assessment was prepared, and no tool box meeting was held prior to initiating the job.
All relevant valves in the fuel oil system were operated to prevent fuel oil from flowing out during the repair work.
However, the fuel oil rail was still heated due to steam tracing, which was not shut off. Thus some hot fuel oil kept flowing out from the fuel oil rail disturbing the 2nd engineer's work. To stop this oil flow a rag was stuffed into the bore.
Suddenly the rag popped out from the bore, and hot fuel oil splashed upwards hitting both engineers' eyes, faces and arms.
The engineers suffered severe burns and were evacuated by a tug boat and subsequently hospitalized.
The report is available HERE
Source: Danish Maritime Authority
