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46 min ago 2 min read
Safety procedures are under the spotlight in Bangladesh following the death of nine workers exposed to toxic gas at an LNG shipbreaking yard.
The incident happened inside the MT Rasi vessel at Ferdous steel shipyard at Chattogram, according to the Daily Star. Two died on site and seven more later in hospital.
The deaths were attributed to the accumulation of toxic gas inside a confined tank and inhalation of lethal fumes, the report added. The ship had been officially beached for demolition in July last year.
The Hong Kong international convention for the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships came into force globally in June last year.
It includes the establishment of an appropriate enforcement mechanism for ship recycling, incorporating certification and reporting requirements.
Ships to be sent for recycling are required to carry an inventory of hazardous materials, which will be specific to each ship, and a final survey prior to recycling.
Ship recycling yards must provide a ‘ship recycling plan’ to specific the manner in which each ship will be recycled and parties must take effective measures to ensure that facilities under their jurisdiction comply with the convention.
Vessels over 500 gross tonnage on international voyages must carry a specific list detailing the location and amount of dangerous materials on board.
LNG shipbreaking is complex work. Before any structural cutting takes place, key procedures include eliminating residual cargo, preventing explosive gas mixtures, and managing cryogenic hazards.
An inert gas, typically high-purity nitrogen, must be injected into cargo tanks and piping systems, remaining oxygen needs to be displaced until the concentration falls below 2% to 5% by volume, preventing any possibility of combustion, and toxic and flammable hydrocarbon vapours must be purged until gas concentrations drop to safe, non-flammable levels.
