Maersk explosion report reveals security problems

Maritime Authority report criticises safety system on board Danish shipper’s massive oil processing tanker. A raging fire that resulted from a gas compressor explosion aboard Maersk-owned oil tanker Ngujima-Yin in spring 2009 could have been quickly brought under control had the ship’s security precautions been in place, according to a report released yesterday by the Danish Maritime Authority. The incident report, compiled by the authority’s accident investigation department, cited numerous safety violations aboard the 333-metre long ship – primarily due to inoperative or faulty equipment.

 The Ngujima-Yin operates off Australia’s northwestern coast and is the largest floating production storage and offloading ship in Australian waters. Among the problems cited in the report were three fire-extinguishing devices that were not properly maintained and an alarm-triggered surveillance system that did
not function. The latter problem made it difficult for the crew to determine where the compression burst had originated. The report added that the faulty equipment on the ship has made the crew ‘lose its confidence that the Maersk Ngujima-Yin is a safe place to work’. Maersk disagrees with much of the authority’s claims and has let the authority know about its dissatisfaction with the report. The Ngujima-Yin was repaired and out on the water again two months
after the incident.