Hazards associated with fuel oil leakage

摘要

A company reports that recently the number of fuel oil leakages from main engine fuel oil high pressure pipes has been increasing. Fuel oil leaks from high pressure pipes carry a risk of fire in the engine room. Most of the incidents were caused by human errors, such as overconfidence and carelessness. Some examples are as follows: Case 1: While the vessel was underway, a slight fuel oil leak was observed at the connection between No.6 cylinder fuel oil pump of the main engine and its high pressure pipe. Immediately, the vessel stopped her main engine and replaced the high pressure pipe. Upon investigation, it was found that the coupling nut had become loose. The cause of this incident was inappropriate torque management of the coupling nut.