Does this really happen, I hear you say, the answer is yes, how else can tanks be inspected/surveyed whilst the ship is in ballast.
Regrettably, commercial diving, by its very nature is extremely hazardous and presents its own unique set of circumstances, especially when considering how to undertake a safe entry and
rescue procedure. It is my belief, that to date, the problem of submerged or semi-submerged rescue from enclosed spaces has not yet been addressed. This is probably because there is no perceived solution to the problem and it’s best to leave things alone, put to one side, and in any case, should the occasion ever arise where rescue is required, a
solution will present itself and all will be well in the end. Alas, we live in the real world, and it is a true adage that if we fail to prepare adequately for such situations in advance then we have to be prepared to fail. Except in these situations failing to prepare could have a catastrophic outcome and end with divers losing their lives.
But these things never happen, do they?
In 2016, a capesize bulk carrier, loading iron ore at Saldanha Bay, South Africa, suffered a ballast pump system failure from cargo hold No5. The loading ceased as the 10MT ton rate of loading created too much hogging stress due to the ship’s inability to displace critical ballast. The Terminal offered assistance by contacting a local sea harvesting company who had divers and who agreed to assist with the issue for $500 US. An hour later a 19 year old diver wearing SCUBA gear accessed the double bottom tank through an open manhole on the top of hold No5 to investigate and possibly rectify the problem. The Diver was un-tethered and had no communication with the surface.
A full hour went by and there was no sign of the diver or his colleague and the ship’s crew were getting concerned. Rescue attempts in zero visibility water by an inexperienced diver failed. The Tank was sealed, the hold partly filled and the ship set sailed for Sepatiba Bay in Brazil where the young diver’s body was recovered two weeks later and flown back home.
The quick job for an easy $500 profit proved fatal in this case and there will be more like that unless awareness is raised, best working practice standards created, applicable training put in place and applicable procedures are implemented.
ACKNOWLEDGING THE PROBLEM: By acknowledging that there are issues associated with entering and rescuing divers from enclosed spaces whilst operating in submerged situations we can begin to address and overcome any potential problems. An eminent organisation, associated with the marine industry, previously identified four issues which, if addressed could help to prevent further injury and/or fatalities occurring at sea in enclosed spaces, they are:
• Culture • Equipment • Training • Design
The
Enclosed Space Box
these can be equally applied to all entry/egress and rescue situations.
REASON FOR WET ENTRIES: Given that this problem exists in the marine industry why do divers need to enter these flooded spaces, I propose that there are many reasons but amongst the most common reasons are that the ship needs to:
• Maintain ballast systems in good working condition
• Keep the vessel’s stability in order (thereby ensuring her ability to load and unload cargoes, equipment or passengers safely)
• Enable structural integrity surveys or inspections
50 | The Report • September 2017 • Issue 81
Whilst accepting that this is an essential function to maintain the integrity of the ship the most likely personnel to undertake this vital work are the:
• Ship’s crew • Marine Surveyors / Inspectors • Shore side contract divers who: (u/w weld, repair, apply coatings, UT test etc.) • Marine rescue teams
ASSOCIATED PROBLEMS TO BE OVERCOME: There are many other associated hazards which must be considered by divers whilst undertaking work in a flooded compartment, they include but are not limited to the obvious problem of operating and working in the enclosed space, but consideration must also be given to:
Accessibility - Into and through the flooded area can be severely impaired by restricted access points such as lightning holes in ballast tanks, they limit travel and restrict movement increasing the degree of difficulty of the work undertaken.
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