201118 Cargo hose rupture caused spill

Our chemical tanker was alongside and discharging RBD palm olein (refined, bleached, deodorised palm oil) using the terminal-supplied rubber hose string. During the operation, a section of the cargo hose string lying on the wharf ruptured and cargo sprayed under pressure. Our deck crew raised the alarm immediately and cargo discharge was stopped using the emergency shutdown (ESD) button.

An estimated two cubic m of cargo was spilt on the jetty and in the water, which was promptly cleaned up. A joint investigation by the vessel and the terminal established that the discharge pressure at the manifold was normal at the time of the incident (five bar) and that the poor condition of a section of the hose string caused the incident. The master then issued a letter of protest to the terminal and, in return, received a letter of indemnity from them, exonerating the ship from all costs and consequences. Cargo discharging resumed after clean-up operations and was completed without further incident.

Corrective/preventative actions
This incident report will be circulated to the fleet and to the industry to increase safety awareness;
In future, the vessel is to verify the condition of the entire cargo-hose string with the terminal representative during the pre-cargo operations meeting and record the result in the ship-shore safety checklist;
Whenever the terminal provides cargo hose(s), the vessel is to request a copy of pressure test certificate for each length of hose in use;
During cargo operations, the cargo hoses are to be inspected by the vessel and terminal at regular intervals for leakages or abnormalities
Attending company superintendents are to verify that the above revised procedures are properly followed by all vessels.