A fatal fire onboard a container ship claiming five lives earlier in 2018 has raised questions on safety measures.
What happened?
A fatal fire erupted onboard the 18-month old 15,000 TEU container vessel ‘Maersk Honam’ which claimed lives of five people. Following the fatal fire, Maersk Line has selected classification society ABS to lead a workshop to identify and evaluate potential hazards posed on containerships from dangerous cargo stowage.
Stress on safety
Ole Graa Jakobsen, Maersk Line Head of Fleet Technology said, “As a global carrier, safety is critical to our operations and the well-being of our almost 9,000 seafarers. We were tragically reminded of this when the Maersk Honam was struck by a devastating fire on 6 March 2018. Sadly, we lost five colleagues to this tragic incident and, as salvage operations continue, we are determined to explore all ways to further improve safety on board our vessels”.
He further added, “We are encouraged by the outcome of this workshop which will lead to further safety improvements to be considered for the IMDG Code. With ABS and other leading international partners, we will now work to implement the recommendations we have identified”.
Workshop on Hazard Identification
The workshop conducted by Maersk Lines had invited industry stakeholders to conduct a comprehensive Hazard Identification (HAZID) study to better understand key risks associated with cargo. The workshop identified hazards associated with dangerous goods stowage on a range of containership designs, many which are not fully addressed by the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code.
The outcome of the workshop were recommendations to improve stowage planning and hazard mitigation, leading to better management of risks.
Cargo assessment
Bret Montaruli, ABS Vice President and Chief Engineer, concluded the workshop, “The risks associated with cargo carried on ships can have serious impacts on the safety of the crew and the ship itself if not properly identified and managed. ABS is always looking for ways to expand safety in the marine industry. Workshops like this leverage knowledge from the industry and provide a foundation for us to refine our own Rules and Guides and consider new guidance”.
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Source: Handy Shipping Guide
