Tuesday, May 22, 2007 Probers see negligence of ship’s crew
THE team from the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) that investigated the mv Butuan Bay explosion has concluded that the incident was caused by mechanical failure, as a result of the watchkeepers and engineers’ apparent negligence.
Arnie Santiago, Marina enforcement office chief and concurrent chief of the Complaints and Investigation Division, said the explosion was caused by the rapid exit of compressed gas from an engine leak.
The blast could have been avoided if safety measures were implemented by watchkeepers.
Santiago said the three crewmen who died in the accident had inhaled carbon monoxide, a poisonous substance released by burning engine fuel. He said there was also no proper ventilation, which contributed to the pressure.
Santiago did not give full details of the investigation, findings and recommendations because it would be more proper for Marina Administrator Vicente Suazo Jr. to do so.
Mv Butuan Bay is one of the four vessels of Don Carlos A. Gothong Shipping Lines Inc. The other three are mv Manila Bay I, mv Ozamis Bay and mv Subic Bay.
Except for mv Manila Bay I, which is under repair after it caught fire last Feb. 12, the other two ships are seaworthy, Santiago said.
Santiago said Marina will conduct continuous inspections and monitoring on the seaworthiness of vessels to prevent more loss of lives and properties.
Training
“The vessel inspections cover all vessels from all shipping lines nationwide. We will see to it that the International Safety Manual (ISM) is followed,” Santiago said.
Santiago said he will also recommend to Suazo to require all vessel crew to undergo training on the ISM provisions.
He observed that the crew of mv Butuan Bay apparently wasn’t aware of these international standards.
“We have to upgrade the knowledge of the vessel crew so that accidents such as the explosion of mv Butuan Bay could be avoided,” he said.
But the success of training crewmen on ISM will rely on the aggressive participation of shipping lines, he added.
“If the shipping operators are willing to allow their crew to undergo training so their skills could be upgraded, they will also benefit from it because there will be less risk of accidents,” Santiago said. (EOB)
