Prinsendam repairs

[Hlitner]

To ChengKP,

In the past when we have not agreed with your comments (which is very rare) we thought the proper penance for your transgression was that you should be made to inspect at least 2 fuel tanks :).

 

Hank

[Copper10-8]

1 hour ago, TiogaCruiser said:

So someone has to crawl inside? How big is the access and how does that work.

 

If it’s a fuel tank, how does safety get maintained? Wouldn’t there be fire dangers?

 

Cheng already explained it as he only he can. Just to add: on HAL, as I'm sure is the case with NCL where he worked, going into any of the ship's tanks is done under the "confined space" procedure. Filling out required "confined space" paperwork is mandatory and there is always a briefing with those involved before the job commences, so everyone involved is on the same page. Crew do not go into a tank by themselves, but always have a second colleague in with them. They will be wearing respirators, eye protection, gloves, coveralls and steel-toe'd shoes as part of required PPE. There is a third crew member who will remain at the entry point to the tank while the job is in progress and he/she will be in direct communication via portable radio with an officer in the ECR who will be watching the process on CCTV. on HAL, the SECO is the one who investigates any injuries and/or more serious issues involving confined space entries

[TiogaCruiser]

Thank you both (Cheng and Copper) for explaining. Any tank trip sounds like something that would not be looked forward to. 

[chengkp75]

8 hours ago, Hlitner said:

To ChengKP,

In the past when we have not agreed with your comments (which is very rare) we thought the proper penance for your transgression was that you should be made to inspect at least 2 fuel tanks :).

 

Hank

Well, then I've done quite a bit of penance over the years. Inspecting fuel tanks is actually better than ballast tanks.  With a fuel tank, you've got to wash out the residual fuel, so it is relatively clean, while ballast tanks will still have some marine growth and mud around, and you come out wearing a lot of it, and stinking to high heaven.

 

There have been more fatalities inspecting ballast tanks than fuel or oil cargo tanks over the years.  That's because in order to get the flammable vapors down to acceptable levels, you've ventilated enough to get oxygen everywhere in the tank.  With a ballast tank, there is almost always at least some rust, and rusting absorbs oxygen, so there can be pockets where there is insufficient oxygen, and people have expired from this.

 

As John has said, there are rigid enclosed space entry procedures, and any type of entry like this must be reviewed by shore staff before permission is given, the bridge and ECR are in constant comms with the inspecting party, and the times that various personnel enter or leave the tank are logged by the standby person at the entrance.  I will add that the personnel entering the tanks will also wear personal atmospheric testing meters, that measure oxygen content, flammable vapor levels, and things like CO and hydrogen sulfide.  These are all industry wide practices.

[the2ofus]

I always enjoy learning more about procedures and safeguards aboard ships.  Thanks to chengkp75 and Copper 10-8 for enlightening us once again.

 

[JeffElizabeth]

Fingers crossed on our favorite ship the Prinsendam, sailing on her in June for the whole month.