Media Release
2007/46
Poor packing led to toxic marine incident through Great Barrier Reef
20 November 2007
The ATSB has found that a leakage of dangerous goods on board
the Liberian registered container ship Kota Pahlawan, off
the coast of Australia, on 16 June 2006, occurred because the
dangerous goods were not packaged properly.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation found that
packaging deficiencies in similar past shipments of xanthates, the
dangerous goods being shipped, were commonplace but not reported.
It was also found that Kota Pahlawan transited the
northern part of the Great Barrier Reef Inner Route before
authorities made an appropriate risk assessment.
On the morning of 16 June, a foul odour was found to be coming
from two containers of xanthates on board Kota Pahlawan.
Xanthates, on contact with moisture, produce foul smelling, highly
flammable and toxic carbon disulphide vapours and can spontaneously
combust. Duct tape was used to seal the containers' doors and the
master reported the incident to the ship's manager.
In the evening on 16 June, the master informed the ship's
charterer that the packaging of the xanthates was not vapour-tight
in accordance with international rules. He demanded that the
containers be unloaded in Brisbane, the next port.
At 0411 on Sunday 18 June, a few hours before entering the
Torres Strait, Kota Pahlawan's master reported the
emission of odours to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority
(AMSA). At 0720, the ship embarked a coastal pilot for its transit
of the northern part of the Great Barrier Reef Inner Route.
At 0907 on Monday 19 June, AMSA issued a defect report for
Kota Pahlawan and notified relevant areas within AMSA and
Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ). Both AMSA and MSQ then started
collecting more information to make a risk assessment.
On 22 June, the ship berthed in Brisbane after an emergency was
declared and exclusion zones were established. Emergency services
attending the ship had confirmed a dangerous goods leakage. All
eight xanthates containers on board the ship were unloaded and
purged with nitrogen gas.
On 24 June, the emergency services declared the purged
containers to be fit for transport and Kota Pahlawan's
master was asked to reload them. The master agreed to reload the
containers after AMSA provided its written acceptance.
On 25 June, Kota Pahlawan sailed from Brisbane with an
emergency services scientific officer aboard to monitor the
xanthates containers. The ship continued its voyage to Sydney, Bell
Bay and Fremantle where the last of the containers were discharged
on 6 July.
The ATSB report includes safety actions already taken and a
number of recommendations and safety advisory notices with the aim
of preventing similar incidents in the future.
Copies of the report can be downloaded from the ATSB's internet
site at www.atsb.gov.au or obtained from the ATSB by telephoning
(02) 6274 7687 or 1800 020 616.
Media Contact: George Nadal [Telephone: 1800 020 616]
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