LESSONS LEARNED FROM EL FARO ON MAIN PROPULSION PUBLISHED BY USCG
The US Coast Guard has published a safety alert to inform operators and other interested parties of the role that the main propulsion lube oil system was found to have played in the El Faro incident. They have recommended that operators, especially ships’ engineers, review the operational procedures and limitations of vital propulsion machinery and verify compliance with SOLAS, Classification Societies and regulatory standards.
The El Faro sank along with its 33 crew onboard in October 2015, marking one of the worst maritime disasters in US history. The USCG official report on the sinking of the El Faro revealed that loss of propulsion during heavy weather was contributing to the sinking. The exact operational status of all vital El Faro engineering equipment prior to the casualty could not be determined, but bridge audio recordings indicate that the vessel lost lube oil pressure to the main propulsion turbine and reduction gear bearings, resulting in loss of propulsion.
It is believed that the vessel’s substantial list, coupled with trim by the bow, caused the main engine lube oil pump to lose suction. A detailed modeling and static analysis of El Faro’s lube oil system determined that a severe inclination of the ship, coupled with a relatively low volume of oil in the sump, would likely result in a loss of pump suction.
Full details:
https://bit.ly/2qMxxC7
ARE YOUR FITTINGS LEAK FREE?
While alongside its berth, a coastal ro-ro passenger vessel was using its small auxiliary boiler to provide onboard accommodation heating while the main engines were shut down. Shortly after the boiler began operating, the engine room fire alarm activated, indicating a fire in the vicinity of the auxiliary boiler. The vessel’s engineers were mustered and sent to the engine room to investigate. When they approached the auxiliary boiler they saw flames inside the burner casing and smoke entering the engine room through the burner unit’s melted sight glass. The engineers quickly shut the boiler down and put the fire out with a portable foam fire extinguisher. When the boiler was examined, the engineers found that the internal fuel supply pipe to the burner nozzle was leaking at a compression fitting. When the pipe was removed, one of its compression fittings was found to be worn and damaged to the point it could no longer provide a seal against the fuel pressure. Fortunately, in this case, the consequences of the fire were not serious. However, boiler explosions, including those resulting in fatalities, have occurred when there has been fuel leakage into a boiler furnace.
The Lessons 1. Regular inspections of the boiler burner unit required the routine removal and refitting of the fuel supply pipe. This provided the opportunity for the condition of the pipe fittings to be assessed. However, as in this case, it also introduced the risk of damaging the seals. All work carried out to the fuel pipework and compression fittings should be closely inspected before being fitted; a zero tolerance on wear and damage will help minimize the risk of fuel leakage and the subsequent introduction of a fire danger.
2. Periodic inspections and maintenance are key to ensuring that equipment and machinery are performing correctly, and enable defects to be identified and rectified. Nevertheless, if the maintenance work introduces faults into the system then this is clearly counterproductive. Formal re-start procedures after an inspection should help ensure that leaks and ill-fitting parts are identified and addressed.
Reprinted from the MAIB Safety Digest 1/2018
18 | The Report • June 2018 • Issue 84
Safety Briefings
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