- Four crew members were poisoned during the cargo fumigation process.
- One member was reported dead, three are in stable condition.
- This report also highlights similar cases related to fumigation and its consequences.
- It also provides highlights of IMO recommendations for safe practices.
- It also provides suggestions based on the observations from various cases.
According to an article published in Maritime Bulletin, four crew members were reportedly poisoned during the fumigation process.
What happened?
On February 13, a general cargo vessel ‘FRI Dolphin’ was involved in the fumigation process. The vessel was enroute from Les Sables d’Olonne to Hull UK, with a cargo of corn.
However, during an unfortunate turn of events, four crew members onboard the vessel were poisoned during the cargo fumigation process.
One dead, three rescued
The captain of the vessel alerted the rescue vessel ‘MRCC Corsen France’. The paramedic team rescued the crew members and rushed the affected members to Brest. One crew member was reported dead, while the other three were reported to be in a stable condition.
The vessel is currently anchored in Brest waters and awaiting further course of action.
What is fumigation?
A fumigant is a chemical which under certain conditions will enter a gaseous state and in sufficient concentration will be lethal to pest organisms. Hydrogen phosphide (PH3) is commonly called “phosphine” and is now the most popular fumigant in use for disinfestation of dry plant products loaded in bulk. Phosphine is easy to handle by the fumigators, as it is manufactured in a solid formulation of either magnesium or aluminium phosphide.
These solids, which often are in the shape of tablets, will react and break down in contact with water or in an atmosphere containing moisture. They will then release hydrogen phosphide, a gas efficient in the killing of insects in bulk cargo, like for instance grain.
Pure phosphine gas is odourless. The odour, often compared to the smell of garlic, carbide or decaying fish, is due to a contaminant, offering the advantage of serving as a warning to people. But it is important to know that the lack of odour does not guarantee that there is no dangerous gas. An odour may not be detected under all circumstances and the gassing may last much longer than the emission of the smell.
Similar cases reported
- Gard’s most recent case of fumigation causing the death of a seaman happened on board a 30-year-old general cargo ship of 4,000 GT. The vessel loaded a full cargo of wheat in all three holds in Liepaja, Latvia, bound for Antwerp, at the end of 2010.
- In January 2008 the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) reported on a very similar case to the above and issued Accident Flyer 1/2008 to warn the shipping industry.
- In 2000 an issue of the US Coast Guard News informed that a bulk carrier bound for Australia had to seek refuge at Coos Bay, Oregon due to the entire crew being affected by gas emitting from the cargo hold No. 6. but they subsequently recovered.
- A few days before Christmas 2010 the entire crew of a bulker could have died on Lake Erie when phosphine gas seeped into the accommodation. In this ship, the leakages were not through corroded holes, as the vessel was only one year old, but through the ventilation system.
IMO recommendations on the safe use of pesticides in ships
- The IMO first issued recommendations on the safe use of pesticides in ships in 1971, which have been revised several times since then by the Maritime Safety Committee.
- The latest revision can be found as a Supplement to the IMDG Code 2010 Edition.
- There are guidelines both concerning fumigation of cargo holds and fumigation of cargo transport units.
- Governments are invited by the IMO to bring the recommendations to the attention of competent authorities, mariners, fumigators, fumigant and pesticide manufacturers and others concerned.
- IMO recommendations are the most important guidelines of which mariners should be aware, and should be thoroughly read and followed to the letter.
- In addition, there may be flag and port state regulations, and not least the manufacturer’s instruction in the use of the fumigant.
- The IMO documents list symptoms of inhalation of phosphine poisoning as “nausea, vomiting, headache, weakness, fainting, chest pain, cough, chest tightness and difficulty breathing”.
- Those symptoms are for those likely to survive.
- For humans exposed to phospine gas, death is certainly a possibility, depending on gas concentration and time of exposure.
Observations from incidents
The following observations can be made based on the cases found on Gard’s files: –
- There are cases where the information given by the fumigator is not complete or not correct, such as how many days the fumigation process will take. Temperature and humidity have to be considered.
- There are cases where inspections to establish a vessel’s suitability for fumigation are very superficial and insufficient to ensure the safety of the crew.
- Some ships are unsuitable for fumigation of cargo due to age and/or lack of proper maintenance of steel boundaries between cargo hold and crew quarters.
- Captains do not always know the details of the IMO recommendations and do not always comply with them.
- There are cases where the captain appears to consider the fumigation of cargo to be the business of the shipper and the fumigator, without fully realizing his own authority and the responsibilities placed on him by the IMO recommendations.
- There are cases where inadequate test instruments are provided to the vessel, cases where the crew has inadequate knowledge of how to use the equipment, and cases where testing equipment is not used during in-transit fumigation.
- Bellow-type test kits with glass tubes are well known on board tankers, but crew members of bulk vessels may not be so familiar in their usage. It is important that the tubes to be used correspond with the expected gas concentration and that the correct number of pumping movements of the bellow is used.
- It should also be noted that the test tubes have a limited shelf life, especially if exposed to heat or sunlight. Nowadays there are electronic measuring instruments available, fitted with an alarm, for various gases, including phosphine.
- These will give permanent control of the gas concentrations in the air, while the bellow-type only tests the air at a given moment. There are also smaller instruments for personal protection.
- Often vessels under fumigation only have the bellow-type test kit on board, while shore-side inspectors are often equipped with electronic instruments.)
- The IMO recommendations require that the fumigator in charge should ensure that both gas detection and respiratory protection equipment carried on board is in good order.
Did you subscribe to our daily newsletter?
It’s Free! Click here to Subscribe!
Source: MaritimeBulletin & Gard
