Fatality resulting from air reservoir drainage operation
The purpose of this Marine Notice is to draw industry attention to a fatality on board a foreign flagged vessel in Australian waters.
The fatality occurred while draining the accumulated oily water emulsion from the ship’s main air reservoirs.
The main air reservoirs (normally two on each ship) situated in the engine room, store air at high pressure.
The maximum pressure of air stored within these reservoirs typically varies from 2.5 to 3.0 MPa. Main air compressors, mostly reciprocating multi-staged inter-cooled type, are used to charge the air reservoirs.
Due to the high pressure within the reservoirs, moisture contained in the compressed air reaches its dew point in the cooler atmosphere within the reservoirs and condenses to form droplets of water. The water collects at the bottom of the reservoir. Particles of air compressor lubricating oil are also carried over with the compressed air and mix with the collected water to form an emulsion inside the air reservoir.
The accumulated emulsions are regularly drained using drain valves located at the lowest level of the reservoirs to avoid damage to machinery and to avoid rust forming inside the air reservoirs.
On this vessel the blow down pipe from the reservoir after the drain valve is led to a small cylindrical observation pot, the top of which is covered by an observation glass attached in place by bolts and a flat steel retaining ring. At the bottom of the pot a small hole of approximately 10-12 mm is drilled which allows the emulsion to be drained and led away for disposal.
Although, it is not clear as to the actual sequence of events, it is understood that the fourth engineer was fatally injured when the glass on the observation pot of a main air reservoir exploded and the flying debris struck his face.
The design of this kind of blow down arrangement is relatively new and only a small number of vessels are found fitted with them.
All ship owner/managers, seafarers, classification society and independent surveyors, and all other stakeholders who come across a vessel with similar drainage arrangements are requested to take notice of this tragic incident and take appropriate actions.
The incident is currently under investigation by the ‘Australian Transport Safety Bureau’ (ATSB). A preliminary report is available on ATSB website at:
（译文参考：船舶管理部机务分析培训师 傅恒星译）
空气瓶放残操作引发的致命后果
发布该海事公告目的是，为了引起相关行业对发生在澳大利亚水域的一艘外轮上的致命事故的关注。
该灾难发生在船员对积存在空气瓶里油水混合物进行放残操作时。
储存高压空气的主空气瓶（通常每船2只）布置在机舱里。
储存在这些空气瓶里的空气最高压力通常在2.5-3.0Mpa之间，用于为这些空气瓶充气的设备通常是多级、中冷型、往复式压缩机。
空气瓶里湿空气冷却至环境温度，在高压作用下达到露点温度，并凝成液滴。液滴积聚在空气瓶底部形成残水，同时来自压缩机的其他杂质及滑油随着压缩空气也进入空气瓶，并与积聚在空气瓶底部的残液混合形成乳化液。
积聚在空气瓶底部的残液需通过安装在位于最低位的放残阀定期泄放，避免残液随压缩空气进入设备造成设备损坏以及造成空气瓶内部锈蚀。
在这艘船上，来自空气瓶放残阀的泄放管，通入一可视的小筒形容器中，该筒形容器顶端通过一金属定位板（法兰）和均布的螺栓固定一块观察玻璃便于监测泄放情况，容器底部被钻出一个10-12mm小孔，通过管线引导残液进入指定舱柜集中处理。
虽然暂时尚不清楚事故发生的具体原因，但目前无需解释的是，该轮三管轮脸部遭到主空气瓶泄放观察装置顶部玻璃爆炸所产生的玻璃碎片造成的致命伤害。
这种泄放装置的设计，发现仅存在少量的新造船舶上。
所有的船东/管理者，海员，船级社和第三方验船师，及所有的利益相关方，如果发现船舶有类似泄放装置，要求高度重视该安全通告，并采取适当的预防措施。
澳大利亚运输安全局（ATSB）正在调查该事故原因，初步的调查报告可在网上查阅。
