DG Shipping of India has issued a circular is issued to highlight a recent unfortunate incident on an Indian-registered oil tanker at an Indian port which was berthed at layup berth for repair, which tragically resulted in the loss of one life and injuries to three shore-contracted personnel on board. The casualties occurred due to an explosion inside the port-side Slop tank while cutting of nuts and bolts, using hot work, was being carried out on the Inert Gas line at the main deck
Hot work permission had been obtained from the Port, along with a (gas-free certificate) for man-entry and gas-free certificate for Entry to wet and dry berth (repair berth) from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization.
The circular has all the details including RCA and the gaps in the safety practices. The Preliminary Inquiry conducted by this Directorate has identified specific gaps in safety measures that may have contributed to the incident and resulted in the casualties. To prevent similar incidents in the future, stakeholders are strongly encouraged to consider the recommendations in the circular.