FEATURE
7176 2999 2 - HSG251), very useful, but the physical staff are no longer there – retired and not replaced. The recent accident in Northern Ireland, involving the vessel Arklow Meadow, occurred when some phosphine ‘sleeves’ were mishandled, by being left on the wet deck still generating phosphine gas that resulted in a large-scale hospitalisation of those who inhaled the phosphine. The investigation and brief report, was by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch of Southampton (see the accident overview). A few years ago HSE would have been the major safety service to be involved in situations of this nature, but in recent years they have lost their fumigation specialists through retirements. But what is the relevance of these changes? Is fumigation at sea any different in 2013 to what was the case in 2005? The answer unfortunately is yes, less safe, and why is as follows:
Changes in perception With the phasing out of methyl bromide, there is also a reduced level of understanding of the risks and hazards of cargo fumigations. The relevant legislation is still in place, and the strongly-worded advisory documents covering the activities involving fumigation at sea remain,
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Image 1: Bulk grain loading
but somehow grain handlers, silo operators, shippers and exporters/importers and other traders seem to have forgotten the main issues. Fumigation is the use of a potentially deadly gas, which is usually significantly more dangerous to humans than to insects. Let me explain this last statement so there is no confusion; Methyl bromide would kill insects and humans easily, within a space of a few hours;
the legal human safe limit was always 5 parts per million (ppm) for an exposure of a normal working day, and exceptionally 15 ppm for up to 15 minutes. This was for a gas everyone knew and understood to be dangerous, and which was to be treated with great care and caution. Cargoes to be fumigated with methyl bromide were done either on land before loading, or in a ship with the crew taken off to a nearby hotel. No questions and no objections, and safety was paramount, with the
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May - June 2013 | 37