201046 Empty thinner drum explosion

Empty thinner drum explosion
MARS Report 201046

On one of our vessels the fitter was involved in making a spoon blank for a pipeline by cutting out an empty thinner drum in the engine room workshop. When he applied an oxyacetylene cutting torch to the drum, a violent explosion occurred and he sustained serious burn injuries.

Root cause
No risk assessment was conducted. Despite senior engineers being present in the workshop, no one paid attention to the job or cautioned the fitter about the potential danger in applying a flame to an empty drum that had previously contained a flammable liquid.

Corrective/preventative actions
All personnel told to conduct a proper risk assessment each time before a gas torch is lit, even in a designated hot-work place like the engine room workshop.

Editor's note: Although ships' stores are exempt from its requirements, under the IMDG Code empty packaging that has not been effectively cleaned must be considered still to contain the dangerous substance that it previously contained and must be labelled/placarded, handled and stowed accordingly.