On the evening of 20 April 2022, the chemical tanker was anchored at anchorage 8 in the North Sea. The recently unloaded vessel had discharged its cargo of
palm oil in Rotterdam, and was being prepared to take on a new cargo of gas oil in Amsterdam. To receive the new cargo, the tanks first had to be filled with inert gas (nitrogen, N2). In accordance with the procedure, the tanks had to undergo a final visual inspection after washing, before they were filled with this inert gas.
At around 19.00 hours (LT), an able-bodied seaman (AB) carried out this final visual inspection in the front tanks, before they could be filled with the nitrogen. When the captain tried to make contact with the AB on the walkie-talkie, he received no reply. Thereupon, he sent the first officer to the front tank to investigate the situation. Upon arrival, the first officer saw the AB lying on a platform in the tank and sounded the alarm via the walkie-talkie. This was the only contact between the first officer and the other crew members on board the vessel. When the captain arrived at the tank opening, he too saw the AB lying on a platform in the tank. The AB was retrieved from the tank by the vessel’s rescue team and, with serious injuries, subsequently transported to hospital by SAR helicopter. The first officer was found on the bottom of the tank. Resuscitation efforts were started, but proved unsuccessful.
The vessel had discharged palm oil in Rotterdam on 12 April, and was being prepared to take on a new cargo of gas oil in Amsterdam. This required the tanks to be cleaned. Following the unloading and prewashing of the tanks, an inspection was carried out by a specialist company in the Port of Rotterdam. The vessel then departed for open sea to complete the cleaning of the tanks outside the Sulphur Emission Control Area.1 On 19 April, the vessel arrived at anchorage 8 of IJmuiden to continue preparing the tanks for the new cargo, to be loaded in Amsterdam.
To take in the new cargo, the tanks had to be filled with inert gas (nitrogen, N2) to prevent the risk of ignition or explosion. Before the tanks were filled with this inert gas in accordance with the procedure, they first had to undergo a final visual inspection. The purpose of this inspection was to determine that after cleaning no material, such as a dirty cloth or walkie-talkie, had been left behind in the tanks. The rear tanks were then prepared and filled with nitrogen until the oxygen level in the tank was below 8 vol%. The front tanks were prepared one day later.
On 20 April, on the instructions of the captain, the AB went to inspect the front cargo tanks. Two days previously, the crew members had completed the final cleaning in the tanks, so that only the final inspection had to be carried out. Because no peculiarities had been observed during the cleaning two days earlier, the issuing of an Entry Permit for the final inspection, the use of a personal gas meter, and the posting of a second person at the tank opening, as laid down in the procedure, were not considered necessary by the crew, and the procedure was therefore not followed by the AB. The AB was wearing the other personal protective equipment such as a helmet, work shoes, overalls and gloves.
At around 19.00 hours (LT), the AB was carrying out the final visual inspection of the front tanks. He first checked tank number 1 on the port side (1P) which involved descending to the first platform in the tank, so that he could thoroughly inspect the entire tank. He then went to tank number 1 on the starboard side (1S). This tank features four platforms linked by permanent ladders and is 18 metres deep (see figure 3). The AB also descended to the first platform, in tank 1S. From that platform, using a torch, it was possible to see whether the tank was completely empty and clean. During the descent, the AB felt dizzy and lost consciousness. He fell and landed on the second platform. As a result of the fall, he suffered serious injuries.