Chapter14( Knowledgeandunderstandingofoil...

Module: Advanced Oil Tanker Safety Course Chapter 14 _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Ver 1.0 / Nov 2014 of 15 Version: Draft 1.0 Page 1 of 15 Singapore Maritime Academy

Chapter 14

Knowledge and understanding of oil tanker emergency procedures

At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to: § Reconcile their practical experience aboard their previous vessels,

namely oil tankers, with the course.

§ IMO Model Course – Advanced Training for Oil Tanker Cargo Operations, HTW 1/3/3, 22 Nov 2013

§ International Safety Guide for Oil Tankers and Terminals, 5th edn, ICS, OCIMF, IAPH, 2006

§ Crude Oil Tanker Basics, 1st edn, Paul Armitage, Edinburgh: Witherby Seamanship International, 2009.



14.0 Oil tanker emergency procedures In order to handle an emergency on aboard oil tankers, a structured procedures have to be developed and tested to ensure their reliability and to ensure such procedures are updated to the prevailing change in shipboard elements (ie structural alteration which may impact the emergency procedures, change of ownership, just to name a few) or shipping regulations (ie amendment to shipping regulation with regard to the addition of/change in equipment. 14.1 Ship emergency response plans 14.1.1 Under the ambit of the ISM code, all vessels (oil tankers more than 150 tonnes) are required to have on board ship emergency response plans. Ship owners and ship managers are at the liberty to name the plans. Some of the names are Vessel Emergency Plan, Ship Emergency Manual, etc. 14.1.2 The emergency response plans as mentioned above are usually for all types of emergencies except oil spill and security incidents.

Why do you think the emergency response plans as mentioned above are usually for all types of emergencies except oil spill and security incidents? What then would be the documents developed for oil spill and security incidents and under which regime these documents are mandatory?

OSRO 14.1.3 The above plans on board are requirements under certain international maritime regulations, such as ISM Code, MARPOL and ISPS Code. However, under the national regulation of certain country, the US being the most obvious example, it is mandatory for vessels calling the ports of that country to have on board a separate set(s) of emergency response plan. For example, vessel that call upon the US ports are required to subscribe to a US oil spill response organization (OSRO). The OSRO will assist the owners/managers of that vessel to develop the ‘local’ emergency response plan. The name of the emergency response plan is Vessel Response Plan (VRP) for oil tankers; and Non-‐Tank Vessel Response Plan (NTVRP) for non oil tankers. Different states in the country, as in the US, may have their different requirements for the emergency response subscription to the OSRO and emergency response plan development. For instance, vessels that call upon port of Seattle in Washington would have to subscribe to the



Washington States Maritime Co-‐operatives (WSMS).1 Canada is another country that requires subscription to the OSRO, namely the Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC).2

As the name implies: OSRO, the above US and Canadian emergency response plans’ emphasis are towards environmental protection. Compare them with SOPEP and SMPEP.

IMO Model Course

The most important and critical elements of every emergency plan are the organization and resources necessary to support it. The plan will only be effective if careful consideration has been given to these elements in its preparation so that it will fully meet the requirements of the individual oil tanker It will be necessary to: § Analyse probable emergency scenarios and identify potential problems. § Agree on the best practical approach to respond to the scenarios and

to resolve identified problems. § Agree on an organization with the necessary resources to execute the

plan efficiently. The plan should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis to ensure that it reflects any changes within the current best practice and any key lessons from emergency exercises/previous emergencies The planning and preparation of the above plans are essential for dealing successfully with emergencies arising from oil spillages, fires, explosions, personnel affected by petroleum and other calamities, and lists the information which should be readily available as: § Type of cargo and its disposition § Location of other hazardous substances § General arrangement plan of the ship § Stability information § Location of fire-‐fighting equipment

1 Go to www.wsmcoop.org for more information. 2 Go to www.wcmrc.com for more information.



14.2 Towing Hawsers (Fire Wire) 14.2.1 The requirements for towing hawsers, fire wires, towing pennants are a matter of local terminals or ports requirements. OCIMF has clarified that the Emergency Towing of Pennants System are not required as they have not provided any benefit in the past and that they should not be considered essential equipment for the vessels safety. 14.2.2 It is important therefore to verify the requirements with the terminal or port authorities. If required by the terminal or port authorities, emergency towing-‐off hawsers (fire wires) may be positioned on both the off-‐shore bow and quarter of the ship. At a buoy mooring, emergency towing-‐off hawsers should be positioned on the side opposite to the hose string.

Towing-‐off pennants is one of the checks in the Ship/Shore safety checklist found in Chapter 26.3.3, ISGOTT, 5th edition. The following guidelines with regard to the pennants are available in chapter 26.4, guideline (supra):

4. Emergency towing-‐off pennants are correctly rigged and positioned. Unless the terminal specifically advises to the contrary, emergency towing-‐off pennants (fire wires) should be positioned on both the off-‐shore bow and quarter of the ship. At a buoy mooring, emergency towing-‐off pennants should be positioned on the side opposite to the hose string. There are various methods for rigging emergency towing-‐off pennants currently in use. Some terminals may require a particular method to be used and the ship should be advised accordingly.

See further in chapter 26.5.5, ISGOTT, 5th edition regarding the towing pennants.

14.2.3 There are various methods for rigging emergency towing-‐off pennants currently in use. Some terminals may require a particular method to be used and the ship should be advised accordingly. The preferred method is to secure the inboard end to bollards, with a minimum of five turns, and to lead the outboard end direct to a shipside chock with a bight hanging over the side and no slack on deck. The outboard end of the line is provided with an eye to which a messenger line is attached and led back to the deck.



14.2.4 During loading or discharging, the messenger is periodically adjusted to maintain the eye of the emergency towing-‐off pennant one or two metres above the waterline. On tankers alongside a jetty, emergency towing-‐off pennants should be rigged on the offshore side. For tankers at buoy berths, they should be hung on the side opposite to the hose strings. 14.2.5 Emergency towing-‐off pennants should not be attached to a set of bitts with a Safe Working Load (SWL) that is less than the Minimum Breaking Load (MBL) of the pennant. (Note: For double bollards, the SWL marked on the bollard should be the maximum allowed when using a wire or rope belayed in a figure of eight near the base of the bollard. This will be half the maximum permissible SWL when a single eye is placed over the bollard.)

Base on the above, provide a drawing of the towing-‐off pennants (fire wires).

14.3 Cargo operations emergency shutdown An emergency shutdown procedure, and alarm, should be agreed between the ship and the terminal and recorded on an appropriate form. The agreement should designate those circumstances in which operations must be stopped immediately. Due regard should be given to the possible dangers of a pressure surge associated with any emergency shutdown procedure

Emergency shutdown is one of the checks in the Ship/Shore safety checklist found in Chapter 26.3.3, ISGOTT, 5th edition.



14.4 Actions to be taken in the event of failure of systems or services essential to cargo The Master and other officers should consider what they would do in the event of failure of systems or services essential to cargo. They will not be able to foresee in detail what might occur in all such emergencies, but good advance planning will result in quicker and better decisions and a well-‐organized reaction to the situation. The following information should be readily available:



§ Type of cargo, amount and disposition. § Location of other hazardous substances. § General arrangement plan. § Stability information. § Fire-‐fighting equipment plans. 14.4.1 Action to be taken on Failure of the Inert Gas System 14.4.1.1 All personnel in charge of cargo operations are aware that, in the case of failure of the inert gas plant, discharge operations should cease and the terminal be advised. 14.4.1.2 In case of IG plant failure, the cargo discharge, de-‐ballasting and tank cleaning operations should cease and the terminal be advised. 14.4.1.3 Under no circumstances should the ship's officers allow the atmosphere in any tank to fall below atmospheric pressure In the event that the inert gas system fails to deliver the required quality and quantity of inert gas, or to maintain a positive pressure in the cargo tanks and slop tanks, action must be taken immediately to prevent any air being drawn into the tanks. 14.4.1.4 All cargo and or ballast discharge from inerted tanks must be stopped, the inert gas deck isolating valve closed, the vent valve between it and the gas pressure regulating valve (if provided) opened, and immediate action taken to repair the inert gas system. 14.4.1.5 It should be emphasized here that national and local regulations may require the failure of an inert gas system to be reported to the harbour authority, terminal operator and to the port and flag state administrations. 14.4.1.6 Special precautions to be taken in the event of a breakdown of the inert gas system when loading static accumulator oils into inerted cargo tanks. 14.4.1.7 On Crude oil tankers:

§ Pyrophoric iron sulphide deposits (pyrophors), formed when hydrogen sulphide gas reacts with rusted surfaces in the absence of oxygen, may be present in the cargo tanks of crude oil tankers and these deposits can heat to incandescence when coming into contact with air.

§ In the case of tankers engaged in the carriage of crude oil, the failed inert gas system must therefore be repaired and restarted, or an alternative source of inert gas provided, before discharge from inerted tanks is resumed .



14.4.1.8 On Product carriers:

§ Devices to prevent the passage of flame or flame screens (as appropriate) are in place and are checked to ensure that they are in a satisfactory condition.

§ Valves on the vent mast risers are opened. § No free fall of water or slops is permitted. § No dipping, ullaging, sampling or other equipment is introduced into the tank

unless essential for the safety of the operation. If it is necessary for such equipment to be introduced into the tank, it should be done after at least 30 minutes have elapsed since the injection of inert gas has ceased.

§ All metal components of any equipment to be introduced into the tank should be securely earthed. This restriction should be applied until a period of five hours has elapsed since the injection of inert gas has ceased.

14.4.2 Action to be taken in the event of pump, valve or equipment failure 14.4.2.1 Valve failure3

Valve failure can be due to component failure in the valve assembly or failure of the actuation system. On modern tankers, cargo valves are usually operated manually, hydraulically or pneumatically.

3 Chapter 14.4.4, Crude Oil Tanker Basics, 1st edn, Paul Armitage, Edinburgh: Witherby Seamanship International, 2009.



If the cargo valve control system fails during cargo operations, the following actions should be carried out:

§ If the cargo valve hydraulic system leaks, sections of the pipeline system should be isolated to ensure that the maximum number of valves can be hydraulically operated. It is helpful to have an isolation plan posted in the cargo control room showing valves that can be operated when sections of the hydraulic pipeline are isolated.

§ arrange for crew members to be available to operate valves manually where necessary. § place portable units in positions where they will be most effective and require minimum

effort to move. § valves with an auto/manual changeover setup should be switched to manual operation.

A prominent notice should be posted at the valve control position, making it clear the valves that have been switched to manual control.

§ regularly check on critical isolation valves that cannot be manually operated to ensure they remain closed.

§ arrangements should be made to ensure that critical isolation valves that have been switched to manual control are not inadvertently opened.

§ when loading cargo, the transfer rate should be re-‐assessed in view of the extra time required to manually operate valves.

§ personnel involved in the operation should be briefed and given familiarisation training in the use of portable hydraulic units.

14.4.2.2 Pump failure Pump includes cargo and ballast pump. This section shall be discussed in class. The discussion points are to be written down in the below box:



14.4.2.3 Equipment failure: ODME failure4 § When an ODME failure occurs and discharge control can only be carried out manually,

overboard discharge must be stopped and an entry made in the Oil Record Book Part II, Cargo/Ballast Operations (Oil Tankers), operational code M alongside items 70, 71 and 72.

§ The recorded times of when the system failed, was repaired and made operational should be consistent with the ODME printouts.

§ The record of the failure should be factual and supported by a technician's report. § If the unit cannot be repaired on board, the tanker's operator must be advised and

arrangements made for a technician to attend or for the spare parts to be delivered at the next port of call.

§ MARPOL Annex 1, Regulation 31, Oil Discharge Monitoring and Control System states that: ''A failure of the monitoring and control system shall stop the discharge. In the event of failure of the oil discharge monitoring and control system a manually operated alternative method may be used. The defective unit must be made operable as soon as possible. With the permission of the flag state authority, a tanker with a defective oil discharge monitoring and control system may undertake one ballast voyage before proceeding to a repair port."

§ If a failure occurs during the ballast passage, ballast or slops from cargo oil tanks can be discharged under permitted conditions with the ODME operated in manual mode.

14.4.2.4 It is to be noted that advance planning and regular training will result in quicker and better decisions and a well-‐organized reaction to the above situations. Such situations of

4 Chapter 14.4.5, Crude Oil Tanker Basics, 1st edn, Paul Armitage, Edinburgh: Witherby Seamanship International, 2009.



failures should form part of the shipboard contingency plans and be practised during shipboard periodic emergency drills. 14.5 Fire-‐fighting on oil tankers 14.5.1 Firefighting procedures must be in accordance to the SMS on board. 14.5.2 The following procedure for firefighting on an oil tanker may be followed:

§ Rise alarm and Stop Cargo work, bunkering, tank cleaning or ballasting operations immediately.

§ Disconnect hoses if alongside the terminal or a ship. § Inform the terminal/ship if alongside the terminal/ship. § If at the terminal, external help may be summoned. § Cast off any boats, which are alongside. § If at anchor, alert port authorities. § If at sea, manoeuvre the vessel in such a way that the spread of fire can be restricted

and it can then be tackled from the windward side. § Cool other compartments especially if they carry flammable cargo. § Select the correct firefighting equipment to be used. § Be alert to the fact that toxic fumes may enter the accommodation and an

evacuation of non-‐essential crew and visitors may become necessary. 14.5.3 Discuss in class the below fire tetrahedron:



14.6 Enclosed space rescue 14.6.1 when an accident involving injury to personnel occurs in an enclosed space, the first

action must be to raise the alarm. Although speed is often vital in the interests of saving life, rescue operations should not be attempted until the necessary assistance and equipment have been mustered. There are many examples of lives being lost through hasty, ill-‐prepared rescue attempts and that nobody should enter an enclosed space for rescue till a proper rescue team is organized.

14.6.2 Breathing apparatus and, where practicable, lifelines should be used by persons

entering the space for rescue. 14.6.3 The person in charge of a rescue team should remain outside the space, from where the

most effective control can be exercised. A rescue operation can be successful, if it is properly co-‐ordinated. If enough realistic rescue drills are regularly carried out on board in a serious manner, only then will there be no panic during a rescue operation. This is very important for a rescue to be successful; else the rescue operation may result in more casualties.

14.6.4 It is imperative that every member of the rescue team should know what is expected of

them and that they are trained and familiar with the content of the enclosed space entry permits requirements.

Refer to the OCIMF An information paper on pumproom safety appended in this chapter. Do you think this paper applies to all enclosed spaces entry guideline? Explain.



14.7 Use of a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) 14.7.1 MSDS is a document identifying a substance and all its constituents. It provides the

recipient with all necessary information to manage the substance safely. The format and content of an MSDS for MARPOL Annex I cargoes and Marine Fuel Oils are prescribed in IMO Resolution MSC.150(77).

14.7.2 The Master should be provided with the correct cargo specification and full carriage and

handling details in the form of an MSDS. 14.7.3 The MSDS should include details of physical data (melting point, boiling point, flashpoint

etc.), toxicity, health effects, first aid, reactivity, storage, disposal and the personal protective equipment to be used and spill/leak procedures. These are of particular use if a spill or other accident occurs and is considered very useful when making the stowage plan.

Google MSDS for Maya Crude, explain the constituents of the product by chemical name, name in common usage, UN number and the maximum concentration of any toxic components, expressed as a percentage by volume or as ppm.

© Cheong Kwee Thiam 2014



Bibliography Crude Oil Tanker Basics, 1st edn, Paul Armitage, Edinburgh: Witherby Seamanship International, 2009. IMO Model Course – Advanced Training for Oil Tanker Cargo Operations, HTW 1/3/3, 22 Nov 2013 International Safety Guide for Oil Tankers and Terminals, 5th edn, ICS, OCIMF, IAPH, 2006 OCIMF An information paper on pumproom safety (Reprinted 1995)

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