Page - 1 Volume 6 , Issue 2 Dt - 01-02-2006 | ENB History | Home | Page 2
  
SIMS HOSTS NEW BP TRAINING COURSE

Samundra Institute Of Maritime Studies, in – house training division of Executive Ship Management, hosted a two days course on ‘Managing Performance’. The institute has been actively engaged in conducting various other courses for the BP sailing staff as well.

This course was conducted by Mr. Phil Waring, General Manager, BP crewing and Mr. John Giblin, Managing Director, ‘Reach Another Level’ and was the first among more to follow.
The course dealt with BP’s appraisal process and the aim was to improve BP’s performance through the enhancement of individual, team and organizational competence. An effective appraisal system is a major factor in creating highly developed personnel that will contribute either directly or indirectly to the organization’s strategic objectives.


Beaming participants at the end of the Course. Venue: Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies
Photograph courtesy Mr.Phil Waring

Senior officers operating an effective appraisal system will be supported by a well motivated and empowered officer. This in turn will achieve established targets and results, and ensure individual employees are developed to the best of their ability and engaged in achieving the set goals.
The course was attended by ten of the senior sailing staff from the BPMS fleet and two of the faculty from the Institute itself.

The course contents dealt with core issues such as Benefits of an Appraisal System, the risks we run in case the Appraisal system breaks down and the need for training the assessor.
The trainers indeed kept all participants rapt in attention and fully involved throughout the two day period. The rather interactive discussions were interlaced with examples, humour, practical workshops and even games
It would be apt to say that the course met its aims more than completely at this stage, however the effect of this training will go much further to strengthen the appraisal process on all the ships where the participants would go. Further, more courses would be conducted in due time to increase the reach of this training to as many of the seafarers in the fleet as possible.

*Note: This monthly safety moment is collected from various sources for educational purpose and is not an actual incident from the ESM fleet.
EXPLOSION AND FIRE IN TANKER ENGINE ROOM

Explosion and fire occurred on board a tanker while discharging gasoline in port, destroying the bridge, accommodation, galley and poop deck. The sequence of events was as follows:

1500: An explosion occurred in the after part of the vessel and fire broke out.
1505: All discharge operations stopped and shore assistance requested.
1510: Master reported many injuries on board, medical assistance requested. Tugs ordered. Port and local authorities advised.
1706: Master and crew abandoned the vessel. Fire spread to vicinity of pump room.
1806: Vessel boarded by shore team, attempts to disconnect cargo hose failed due to intensity of fire. Port holes and access to pump room battened down.
1842: Shore party managed to disconnect cargo hose and lower it to the water. Fire in pump room extinguished.
2005: Forward mooring wire let go. Synthetic moorings aft parted due to blazing fire on poop deck. Attempts to extinguish fires in accommodation and engine room failed.
2015: Master and Chief Officer reboarded vessel with fire-fighting crews.
2045: Fire under control and danger of spreading to remaining cargo restricted.

Several crew members lost their lives and several more were injured. The engine room was completely burnt out.

PROBABLE CAUSE
•
The explosion was attributed to gasoline fumes seeping through the seals of the starboard side cargo pump and stripping pump shafts into the engine room.
•
These fumes sucked by the starboard cargo engine (its lever left in the ON position) may have developed high pressure in the cylinder causing the safety valve to crack open and ignite the flammable gases in the engine room.
•

Engine room was not at a positive pressure at the time of the incident.
LESSONS LEARNT
•
Integrity of Pump room / Engine room seals should be checked. A practical way would be by observing the rate of drop in the lubricating oil cup. A rapid drop points to a leak.
•
Engine room blowers must be so operated that a positive pressure is maintained in the engine room at all times.
Page - 1 Volume 6 , Issue 2 Dt - 01-02-2006 | ENB History | Home | Page 2