201334 Phenol exposure

After berthing at the terminal a pre-transfer safety meeting was carried out. It was agreed that cargo tanks, once loaded with phenol, would be padded with nitrogen. After approximately 10 hours the loading was complete and nitrogen padding was subsequently undertaken. However, at this critical juncture it was not verified that the cargo lines were cleared and free of any residual cargo. Immediately after completion of line blowing the manifold valves were sealed by the cargo surveyor. This had not been discussed initially during the pre-transfer meeting with the ship’s staff.

The Pilot boarded the vessel one hour after the nitrogen padding manoeuvre, shifting the vessel to anchorage. The next day as the vessel was awaiting instructions, it was found that the transverse sections of the cargo lines loaded with phenol were frozen. Preparations were undertaken to clear the lines; an AB and an OS along with a cadet were assigned to assist the chief officer. The chief officer felt that since he was supervising the operation from a distance it was not necessary for him to wear any cargo specific PPE. The OS who was directly handling the valves was wearing coveralls, a chemical suit and a face shield. The other two crew members were wearing basic PPE and were standing aside at some distance.

One tank line was cleared in a couple of hours and then the steam hose was shifted to next manifold line. Upon opening the bottom drain of the manifold it was found that the line was blocked with cargo. Since the manifold valves were sealed by the cargo surveyors, it was decided to connect the steam hose to a plug on top of the line in order to clear the drain valve. Upon opening the top plug there was a sudden spray of liquid phenol and fumes as the line was under pressure due to the nitrogen padding of the cargo tanks. The OS who had removed the plug received some phenol fumes inside the face shield and inhaled a small amount of fumes. A small quantity of phenol also landed on the left sleeve and side of the neck of the Chief Officer who was standing about 5-6 m away from the manifold.

The emergency shower was immediately used for decontamination and exposed clothes were also removed. After washing the area thoroughly, polyethylene glycol was applied to the exposed skin. The chief officer experienced a burning sensation to the skin and OS experienced irritation of the throat. As a precaution both crew members were sent ashore for treatment and evaluation where they were later found fit for duty. 

Lessons Learned
1 The pre-transfer safety meeting should include all the necessary steps and precautions and these should be discussed and documented.
2 Cargo lines must be promptly and properly blown through upon completion of cargo operations to avoid freezing of cargo / blockage of lines.
3 If cargo lines are found to be blocked any attempt to clear the lines should only be made after a proper risk assessment has been undertaken and vetted by the company shore superintendent or DPA.
4 All crew members and officers must be well briefed about the cargo being carried and the PPE to be worn. The emergency procedures also must be discussed prior to arriving at the berth.
5 All ship staff must be aware of the Material Safety Data Sheet of the products on board and specifically the measures to be taken in case of accidental release of the product so that immediate action can be taken by ship staff.