The explosive potential of shortfalls in instruction and experience

摘要

A report by the Australian Transport Safety Board into a thermal oil heater explosion on board an anchored products tanker highlighted a particular combination of mechanical and maintenance defects that led to the accident. The vessel concerned, when at sea and under normal steaming conditions, relied on an exhaust gas waste heat recovery unit for its heating requirements. When the vessel was in port, or when the main engine was stopped or running at slow speeds, it relied upon at least one of the two fitted thermal oil heaters to meet these needs.