Fire in pump room on tanker Bitfjord

Location: Loading berth at the Port of Dundee, Scotland.

Completed PE Summary: Bitfjord

A short summary of the accident and action taken:

Merchant Vessel/Accident Details
Vessel Name Bitfjord
Registered Owner/Manager Tarbit Shipping
Port of Registry Skarhamn
Flag Sweden
Type Tanker
Classification Society Lloyds Register
Length Overall 85.2m
Gross Tonnage 1573
Date/Time 28/04/2005, 0830
Location of Incident Dundee harbour area
Incident Type Fire
Persons Onboard 8 crew
Injuries/Fatalities None
Damage/Pollution Minor Damage/None

Synopsis

The bitumen carrier, Bitfjord, suffered a small fire in the pump room while it was alongside her loading berth in the Port of Dundee . The fire was caused by spontaneous combustion of oil-soaked lagging.

Action taken

The Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents has written to the vessel’s owner with advice on the following:

  • Correct entry procedures for enclosed spaces

  • The provision of effective protective coating on cargo pipework insulation to prevent contamination by flammable liquids

  • The importance of inspection and maintenance to avoid flammable liquid spills.


Updates to this page

Published 23 January 2015