According to a recent Safety4Sea article, Standard Club has warned that the threat to seafarers entering toxic enclosed spaces following the COVID-19 pandemic is being compounded.
A major safety concern
It is known that the danger associated with enclosed spaces was always a major safety concern for the shipping industry.
However, the number of casualties caused by toxic gases or oxygen depletion has not decreased since the International Maritime Organization introduced measures in 2012 to tackle the problem.
Pandemic increasing the risk
Loss-prevention team
The Standard Club’s loss-prevention team considers that the pandemic has led to an increased threat to seafarers in the dry bulk trades.
ITF Study
A study by ITF, revealed a total of 145 casualties in enclosed spaces in the past 20 years. The even alarming fact is that 28 of these casualties happened in the last 16 months.
Factors to consider
Capt. Akshat Arora, Standard Club’s Senior Surveyor of Loss Prevention in a recent interview, noted that there are a number of factors that need to be considered in order to effectively reduce the risks associated with enclosed spaces.
One of which is related to the design aspect of confined spaces. The ship’s design should be improvised to allow:
- easy access,
- fast evacuation, and
- quick venting of confined spaces.
Enclosed space entry guidance
To remind, Standard Club has issued a guide concerning enclosed space entry onboard, aiming to assist seafarers to enter enclosed spaces safely and prevent enclosed space-related casualties.
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Source: Safety4Sea
