DANGEROUS GOODS/INSURANCE\\\


Keeping safety up to scratch


Monitoring and maintain standards is a never-ending task, says the man responsible for safety at one of Europe’s largest shipping operators. DFDS marine standards superintendent Stephen Fairlie talks to Mike Bryant. Marine standards super-


intendent Stephen Fairlie – a former ship’s captain – is part of a small team of four senior DFDS employees, all experienced master mariners, who continually ensure that the company’s vessels operate according to the relevant safety regulations. These are most


pertinently


found in the International Maritime


Organization’s


International Management Code for the Safe Operation of Ships and for Pollution Prevention (known as the ISM Code). The ISM Code became


mandatory for ship operators in 1998. It grew out of IMO guidelines that were themselves developed as a result of a number of vessel accidents in the later 1980s, most notably the loss of the Herald of Free Enterprise. The Code outlines safety management objectives and requires a safety management system (SMS) to be established by whoever is responsible for the operation of a vessel. Companies are also required to


have a system in place for meeting the standards set, with each operator having an individual or team enjoying “direct access to the highest levels of management” responsible for this. According to Fairlie, DFDS has this and more – its Marine Standards team reports direct to the company’s CEO once a month and, moreover, it is entirely independent of the operations side of the operator’s business, thus giving it a genuinely neutral status within the company. With all its auditing carried


out in addition to the regulatory inspections of the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) as well as the Danish marine shipping authorities – there are a good number of safety reviews in place.


On-board inspection DFDS Marine Standards superintendents will typically go on-board one of the company’s vessels for up to three days. They will, according to a prepared audit plan, carry out a “top to bottom inspection”, Fairlie says. This will encompass a full assessment


–


while the vessel carries out its day-to-day work – of the condition of


equipment throughout the


ship, checking that there are no apparent hazards on-board, that safety equipment is in working order and


within in-service


and inspection due dates, that the vessel is clean and tidy and that all necessary paperwork is completed. Emergency drills may be held and monitored. DFDS believes that


Whilst the number of fires over the last decade may be reducing, the cost is increasing- and the scale is breath-taking. One total loss case comprised building loss of US$70 million, contents of $135 million and handling equipment $2 million. Even a more modest claim totalled about $8 million,


25% of which was business interruption. Rather than rely simply on


not only frequency but diversity in the types of emergency simulated are vital to maintain the interest of those involved and that all potential sources of emergency are covered. They also hold one-on-one


interviews with members of the crew to ensure that they have been trained to the required standards. As for the specifics associated


with the huge amounts of cargo carried by DFDS ships across Europe – and they carry enormous volumes of freight, especially across theNorth Sea, Channel and from Scandinavia to the UK – the cargo deck is a particular focus of the inspection team. Here too, there must be no visible hazards, with no defects and the area must be generally clean, tidy and fit for purpose. Freight loading and discharging will be monitored to ensure that all required processes are safely adhered to, while the cargo plan created before any ship is loaded will also be inspected. Dangerous goods handling will


be a priority of any audit, not only to ensure that hazardous freight is correctly handled and stored but that all the accompanying paperwork is completed in good order. And DFDS has a Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor to add his experience should it be required. “All the ‘i’s are dotted and all


the ‘t’s are crossed” as part of the process of creating a final audit report, Fairlie explains. Where performance isn’t quite up to


scratch, the team will work with ships’ captains to ensure that changes are made. At the end of the day, it is a two-way process, he notes, and the aim is not to criticise anyone but to ensure that the highest possible operating standards are achieved. Indeed, he sees his role as very


much a consultative one. Fairlie and the other superintendents are “auditing the system”, he says. DFDS vessels are the customers of the Marine Standards team, Fairlie considers, with everyone at the operator working together to ensure that goods and passengers are carried as safely as possible. Collaboration doesn’t end


there, either. Any possible changes in best practice, perhaps suggested by DFDS fleet crews as part of the two-way consultative process encouraged by the operator’s Marine Standards superintendents, will be shared with other lines, for example at the regular meetings that involve various operators active at the Port of Dover. Meanwhile, DFDS’s Marine


Standards superintendents also maintain close relations with various industry regulatory bodies and agencies such as the Danish Maritime Authority (DMA) and its UK counterpart the MCA, in order to ensure that all the latest requirements and best practice procedures are taken on-board.


the TT Club’s data, take a look at broader industry information such as the National Fire Protection Association in the US and the Fire Protection Association in the UK on the causes of warehouse fires. Apart from the preponderance of intentionally set fires, the highest risk (typically approaching 20%) arises from electrical failure or malfunction, including arcing. Other recurring risks include ‘hot work’ and even smoking, both of which should be rigorously controlled. Another risk that must not be excluded from assessment is spontaneous combustion, which tends to be caused by self-reactive chemicals held in storage. The speed at which warehouse


fires spread is frightening – and primarily down to the way in which these structures are built and the nature of goods stored. Typically,


modern


warehouses tend to be sandwich panel buildings, because they are big, cheap and light. The problem occurs when they are not protected properly: the building may be destroyed if a fire is not tackled within 15 minutes, exacerbated by the spread of heat causing flash fires. Older buildings may have smaller internal spaces that can restrict the spread of fire. The nature of goods in


storage is, therefore, a key factor influencing the speed at which warehouse fires spread; shrink wrapping and cardboard are highly flammable and fires spread up vertical surfaces of stacked boxes in seconds. The stacking of theses boxes in back to back rows creates flammable chimneys through which fires spread with breathtaking speed. There are a number of quick tips to improve risk.


Protecting against arson Starting with intentionally set fires, there are some housekeeping steps, such examining site security, access control, ID checking and vetting of employees, all of which can reduce the risk of arson. Unauthorised access through


The speed at which fires spread is frightening says Peregrine Storrs-Fox


Issue 2 2013


Throwing light on warehouse fires


15


The causes of warehouse fires are many and varied but, startlingly, up to half are started deliberately. Of course, it is not just the warehouses themselves that are destroyed; consider also potential injuries or death and stored cargo and materials handling equipment. TT Club’s Peregrine Storrs-Fox looks at the insurance implications.


a broken fence and readily available fuel sources such as wheelie bins or pallets can be mitigated to prevent casual opportunities. There is, however, one thing that has revolutionised fire investigation and mitigation – CCTV.


It has been proven


time and time again to aid the reduction of fire losses. In general, housekeeping is


critical. Sometimes the contents of a warehouse would not readily catch fire but for debris and the degree to which the fire takes hold may depend on its accessibility to the fire service, due to imprudent use of defined spaces for storage.


Fire Risk Assessment Turning to other fire types, it is recommended that thorough processes are followed. A comprehensive Fire Risk Assessment is fundamental, containing accurate building plans, a smoking policy, how fires are to be detected and the alarm raised, and escape route analysis, together with clear documented chains of accountability. It is also worth noting that the focus on every element of the building itself may be comprehensive, but can be fatally compromised if the dynamics of fire risk analysis are not assessed for seemingly minor building alterations, such as installing phone lines or vending machines. In addition, consider unexpected sources of ignition, from your own machinery and fuels, or from contractors’ tools. From a risk


management


perspective, remember, also, that the fundamentals of fire risk assessments and health and safety standards are designed to prevent loss of life in buildings, as opposed to loss of the building itself.


Mitigation A thorough and on-going fire risk assessment needs to be reinforced by appropriate training, ensuring competence, tests/practices and, of course, effective insurance. While these provide comfort and help reduce the chances of a fire in the first instance, what further measures can be adopted to mitigate loss should the worst happen? Sprinklers are oſten


considered the be-all and end-all in fire prevention. However, it is not good enough to just ensure that there are sprinklers in place, there must be a highly strategic assessment of sprinkler placement, water pressure and water flow, which can make the difference between having a building leſt in the event of a fire or not. The incentive is that the cost of fires in buildings with sprinkler systems is on average 80% less than those occurred in buildings with none. Other measures include the


compartmentation of buildings, assessment and management of ignition sources, circuit breakers and arc detection. Building fire prevention measures differ from country to country; make sure you are aware of the regulations appropriate to each individual building. Regulations will also require fire breaks as a minimum for the storage of certain cargoes, such as Ammonium Nitrate. Finally, an independent


evaluation of the fire risk can materially reduce your risk, through the identification of trends in losses and common factors of major cases. [We gratefully acknowledge


the assistance of Dr Jim Lygate, principal investigator at IFIC www.ificforensics.com in the preparation of this article.]


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