Fumigation at Sea

[JK]

I read this article with some surprise, fumigation of a cargo is not something I even thought of. But thinking about it, I guess it must happen regularly with some cargoes.
Thank you Maritime Professional for this info:
http://maritimeprofessional.net/Blogs/O ... gants.aspx

On the high seas lurk threats from Fumigants
Failure to carry out fumigation according to best management practices on board cause death and casualties


While concern for safety, security and efficiency in shipping is uppermost, sometimes the cargo carried by a vessel could well turn out to be dangerous if not hazardous for the seafarers manning the vessel. A case in point was the recent incident of a vessel carrying a small package of 12,000 MT of animal feed maize along with other cargo from the West coast of India to a South-East Asian port last month.(Names and other particulars are not mentioned as the matter is currently under investigation and officials refused to furnish information). A day after the vessel had sailed from the port, the captain found that the second mate had not come on deck. Not getting any response to his knocks he entered his cabin to find him unconscious and frothing at the mouth. He then called for the second engineer. Getting no response there either, he entered his cabin to find his lifeless body. Soon he finds the entire crew sick having severe bouts of nausea. He immediately made for the nearest port after reporting the matter to his office.
Being involved in the investigation in the initial stages, Capt John Prasad Menezes a fellow of the Nautical Institute London and of the Chartered Ship Brokers London and Member Consulting Marine Surveyors and Consultants London agreed to offer certain information. According to him the assignment at first was totally different. But the cargo got damaged in the rain and stowage was as per loading manual. The quantification was for stevedoring payment purpose only. Infestation was noticed after the cargo came on board. The fumigation company representative’s job was to merely place some Aluminum Phosphide tablets before closing the holds. No one of board was aware of the seriousness of the problem this would cause.
Even when the problem was detected the owners, charterers, agents and master decided on sticking to the assignment and to sail the vessel from the West coast of India. Clean Mates’ Receipt and Bills of Lading were issued. The Club cover was prejudiced and the cover withdrawn the next day of sailing. This not being acceptable to the owners the blame game began. The fumigation had been done only for the sake of the certificate.
No doubt fumigation is done when the ship is berthed / at anchor or in transit. It is the high cost of demurrage if done when at anchor that in-transit fumigation becomes an attractive option despite the safety problem to the attendants and ship board staff. Aluminum Phosphide used as the fumigant generates Phosphine gas when exposed to the moisture in the air. (Besides, the cargo had got wet.) The symptoms of poisoning by inhalation of Phosphine includes nausea, vomiting, headache, fainting spells, pain in the chest, etc. Pulmonary edema (presence of excess fluid in the lungs) generally leads to heart failure.
This is a case that has gone unreported in the press according to Capt Menezes. “The fumigation was not carried out as per the best management practices instead the tablets were just thrown in on the top thus the Phosphine gas escaping affected mostly the deck staff,” he stated. “Of course the master is not responsible for selecting the fumigant and for finalizing the contract, which of course is the job of the shipper. But the master is equally responsible to ensure the fumigation is carried out properly. He should go through the checklist jointly with the shipper. Besides, he should have gas testing equipment on board.” Are seafarers being sacrificed for the sake of monetary gain. Posted by Joseph Fonseca on 9/13/2010 3:06:36 PM

[offshoresnipe]

I have sailed with more then one crew member who could have used his room fumigated!

[JK]

22/12/2010 8:41:21 AM
CTV.ca News Staff
Sixteen crew members were taken off a cargo ship on Lake Erie after unknown fumes sickened them on Tuesday night.

The crew members were riding aboard the Herman Schoening, a Liberian-flagged vessel, when it ran into problems near Port Colborne, Ont.

The mayor of Port Colborne told the Welland Tribune newspaper that the ship had recently been fumigated after picking up a load of grain in the U.S.

The newspaper and other local reports said that the fumigant contained phosphine gas.

In a Wednesday morning telephone interview, Dana Watling of the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre at CFB Trenton told CTV.ca that five other crew members were fine and did not need to be evacuated from the ship.

Watling said a Griffon helicopter was sent to the scene from CFB Trenton, but was not needed after tug boats and other vessels managed to get the sickened sailors to shore.

The sailors were treated by emergency medical services personnel. There was no immediate word on their condition.