ChevronTexaco Shipping Company LLC Safety Bulletin

Jones F. Devlin Award Recipients

Celebrating Operational Excellence
Dedicated to the welfare of the mariners who serve on the ships...
July 2005
ORION VOYAGER, ANTARES VOYAGER, PHOENIX VOYAGER, ARIZONA VOYAGER, GEMINI VOYAGER,
ALTAIR VOYAGER, SIRIUS VOYAGER, COLORADO VOYAGER, MARIA ANGELICOUSSIS, DYNAMIC VISION,
REGULUS VOYAGER, CYGNUS VOYAGER AND DYNAMIC ENERGY.
YEARS OF INCIDENT FREE
NAME SERVICE YEARS
Fernandes, T. 35 35
Viegas, F. 35 35
Fernandes, M. O. 30 30
Salomone, G. 30 30
Piercy, H. 25 24
Richlie, A. 25 25
Ayyathan, S. 20 20
Bambarana, K. 15 15
Brandt, P. 15 14
Carr, R. 15 13
Donesley, G. 15 15
Espiritu, D. J. 15 15
Mohamed, A. R. 15 15
Pereira, P. M. 15 15
Reed, G. 15 14
Ross, M. 15 15
Stroker, T. 15 14
Davis, D. 10 10
Krueger, K. 5 4
Lazar, S. 5 5
Nwaochei, A. 5 5
Sibayan, P. 5 5
Smith, T. D. 5 5
ChevronTexaco Shipping Company LLC
July 2005
Volume 67, No. 7
Safety and Environment Team
Editor Steve OHare
Please direct your questions, comments
or suggestions to:
ChevronTexaco Shipping Company LLC
P.O. Box 6027
San Ramon, CA 94583-0727
phone 925.790.3767
fax (within U.S.) 877.673.9272
(outside U.S.) 631.514.3057
email [email protected]
Service
Safe.
Always!
WITHOUT INJURY
ARTICLES:
Safety Achievements
Planning For ZERO
By KM
Fingers and Rotating Vee Belts
Dont Mix
By MAIB Safety Digest 1/2005 CASE 12
Legionella Bacteria, The Hidden Menace
By Geoff Dunkley
Hearing Protection
By Subashish Basak
2 July 2005 SAFETY BULLETIN
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Reminder:
Safe Always
Contest entries
are due by Tuesday,
Nov 1, 2005. More
details are in the
March 2005 issue of
the Safety Bulletin.
In 1958 that same safety officer approached the AMMI Board once again regarding sponsorship of an award
that would recognize individual vessels and their crews for accident free operations. The Board once again
could not refuse his request that honored our merchant seamen. That year, 26 vessels representing seven
companies, were presented the Certificate of Honor Award. In 1960 the award was renamed the Jones F.
Devlin Award to honor the safety expert who thought the credit should go to the mariners who were achiev-
ing these results.
For over 40 years this award has been given to those individual vessels that have achieved at least 2 years
injury free operation according to each companys accident records. Chevron Shipping has the distinction this
year of having 13 vessels selected to receive Jones F. Devlin awards this year.
Congratulations to the mariners who have sailed on the following ships in the past two years:
ORION VOYAGER, ANTARES VOYAGER, PHOENIX VOYAGER, ARIZONA VOYAGER, GEMINI VOYAGER,
ALTAIR VOYAGER, SIRIUS VOYAGER, COLORADO VOYAGER, MARIA ANGELICOUSSIS, DYNAMIC VISION,
REGULUS VOYAGER, CYGNUS VOYAGER AND DYNAMIC ENERGY.
Congratulations again to the crew
of the Arizona Voyager who is
selected to receive Ship Safety
Achievement Award for the
assisted rescue of nine Cuban
refugees in the straights of
Florida, 0620 Saturday
April 3, 2004.
SAFETY BULLETIN July 2005 3
Safety Achievements
In 1954 American Export Lines had a Safety at Sea Expert who was in
close association with the American Merchant Marine Institute. That
year he approached the AMMI Board of Directors requesting that an
award for safety achievement at sea be established. The Board agreed
to sponsor such recognition and the first Ship Safety Achievement
Awards were established and four vessels were honored.
Zero
Planning for ZERO
(The fourth step) By KM
4 July 2005 SAFETY BULLETIN
Some people confessed that they might consider
clambering up on whatever was convenient.
Another response was that the worker would use a
step ladder. The person giving this response then
added if the ladder was too short, where 3 steps is
safe but going onto the 4th step in unsafe then who
knows. Maybe I would still go onto the 4th step.
These sentiments have probably been shared by
most of us so we can easily relate to the dilemma
posed by a convenient at-risk behavior.
In order to reach our goal of ZERO injuries we
need to deal, as individuals, with the issue of the
fourth step.
There is a parallel issue with where our safety
culture has brought us to date.
The first step might be considered to have
been the introduction of the SAFETY, BEHAVIOR,
OBSERVATION & FEEDBACK program rolled out
in second half of 1999.
The second step was the introduction of the
Behavior Based Safety (BBS) process. This has
been hugely successful. Not only because it taught
us how to do good observations and feedback on
accurately targeted behaviors but also because it
brought together all of the other safety processes
that were going on in a less coordinated manner.
BBS brought all of our safety efforts under the same
umbrella.
Having introduced BBS, the third step was having it
engrained into our culture. We are now at a point
where people know the Key Safety Behaviors and
practice them routinely.
So what is the fourth step to achieving a ZERO
injury goal? The scientific answer would be
the elimination of all at-risk behavior.
Having attended a recent VMT forum, I witnessed a
strong commitment from senior management to get
us to that goal of zero injuries. Im sure we will all
hear much more about Planning for ZERO in the
coming months. I am equally confident that we,
Chevron Shipping, will commit the necessary
resources to achieving our goal. This may take the
form of changes in the design of ships, alterations
to existing ships, changes to work procedures,
manning requirements etc. etc.
As individuals, we need to remember that
all of the resources committed to achieving
zero injuries could be wasted if, when
faced with the question, we choose to
step up to the unsafe fourth step of
the ladder.
We are all faced with the option of
choosing a convenient at-risk behavior
in our daily work. In Planning for
ZERO we need to be strong
enough to resist the
temptation.
During a recent Structured Safety Meeting the following question was posed:
What would you do if you needed something that was out of reach
above you but there was no ladder in the immediate vicinity?
The 4th Step?
Fingers and Rotating Vee Belts
Dont Mix By Emil Smeraldo
SAFETY BULLETIN July 2005 5
Unknown to the
engineer, number
1 fan delivery
flap had not
closed and
sealed its duct,
because the lock-
ing screws on the
vent flap handle
were slack
(Figure 1). Both
fans supplied a
common air
delivery duct,
and the airflow
from the running
fan caused the fan on number 1 to rotate in the
reverse direction soon after it stopped.
Unable to react quickly enough, the fingers of the
engineers right hand were drawn into, and became
trapped between the vee belts and the electric
motor pulley. The very graphic photographs Not
Shown illustrate the consequences.
THE LESSONS
1. If you are required to work on rotating or other
moving equipment, ensure that all precautions are
taken to isolate the equipment and prove that it
cannot restart unexpectedly.
By taking the time to plan the job, completing a lock
out / tag out permit, issuing warning notices, locking
off starter controls, removing fuses, and fitting lock-
ing devices on the plant, you will be reducing the
opportunity for an unexpected, and probably very
painful, accident to take place.
2. If the equipment is linked to another operating
plant, ensure that the operating plant cannot
affect the equipment you are working on. If it can,
and only if safe to do so, isolate the linked plant
as well, and advise a responsible officer and all
other affected personnel of your actions.
3. If equipment operates unexpectedly, it will almost
certainly happen when your fingers are in very
close proximity to it. Where possible, make use
of tools specialist or otherwise to carry out
maintenance, and keep your fingers safe.
4. An effective risk assessment should have shown
that the sealing of the common air delivery duct
by the number 1 fan delivery flap was critical to
prevent reverse running of the fan. This should
have then identified the unsuitable precautions
taken to prevent inadvertent rotation.
NARRATIVE
An engineer on board a vessel was required to order spares for the
accommodation fan units. As both fans were running, he switched off
the power to number 1 fan, closed the delivery flap and opened the
air conditioning unit access panel. He then waited for the fan to stop
before checking the identification markings, condition and tension on
the three vee belts.
Figure 2: Motor fan unit and vee belts
Figure 1: Accommodation fan unit
delivery flap handle
6 July 2005 SAFETY BULLETIN
Legionella Bacteria, The Hidden Menace By Geoff Dunkley
Legionnaires disease is a form of
pneumonia, which is more frequent
in men than women, typically affects
heavy smokers, heavy drinkers, is
uncommon in younger people and is
virtually unheard of in people under
the age of twenty. Legionella is a
bacterium, with 34 different strains
of which 16 are considered to cause
legionnaires disease.
The disease is caught by inhaling small
droplets of water suspended in air
which contain the legionella bacteri-
um. 1000 bacteria per millilitre are
considered the trigger level above
which it is possible for the disease to
develop in humans.
The symptoms
include high
tempera-
ture,
feverish-
ness and
chills,
coughing,
muscle
pains,
pneumonia,
diarrhea and
signs of mental
confusion. It is very
similar to flu and can be treated by
erythromycin antibiotics. If infection
occurs the symptoms typically appear
within 2 to 10 days.
What water conditions are best for growth of the
organism? Warm, stagnant water provides ideal conditions
for growth. At temperatures between 68 and 122F the
organism can multiply, temperatures of 90-105F are ideal
for growth. Rust, scale, and other micro-organisms can also
promote their growth. So is Legionnaires' disease contagious?
The answer is no, legionnaires' disease cannot be transmitted
from person to person. Does everyone who inhales
Legionella into the lungs develop Legionnaires'
disease? Again the answer is no.
Most people have resistance to the disease. It is thought that
fewer than 5 out of 100 persons exposed to water contami-
nated with Legionella will develop Legionnaires' disease.
Legionella bacteria can also cause a flu-like disease called
Pontiac fever. Unlike Legionnaires disease, which can be a
serious and deadly form of pneumonia, Pontiac fever pro-
duces similar flu-like symptoms that may include fever,
headache, tiredness, loss of appetite, muscle and joint pain,
chills, nausea, and a dry cough, but full recovery occurs in 2
to 5 days without antibiotics. No deaths have been reported
from Pontiac fever. And unlike Legionnaires' disease, which
occurs in only a small percentage of persons who are
exposed, Pontiac fever will occur in approximately 90% of
those exposed. In addition, the time between exposure to the
organism and appearance of the disease (called the incuba-
tion period) is generally shorter for Pontiac fever than for
Legionnaires' disease. Symptoms of Pontiac fever can appear
within one to three days after exposure.
In 1976 a convention for ex-service personnel was held in Philadelphia.
A total of 221 people contracted an, until then, unknown disease, from
which 34 died. Most of those who died were Legionnaires, which is
where the disease got its name.
SAFETY BULLETIN July 2005 7
In that case why do we need to know about this? Well in
the early 1990s Chevron Shipping experienced an occur-
rence of legionella bacteria. As part of the remedial
action, vessels were advised to flush potable water
tanks and distribution systems with a high chlorine con-
centration flush. The water was then heated to in excess
of 1600F, following which the system was again flushed.
On affected vessels and sister ships the shower heads
were renewed and a chlorine
injection pump was
installed.
The bacteria
reproduces in
warm stag-
nant water,
such as
found in
plumbing sys-
tems and
evaporative
condensers of
large air-condi-
tioning systems. It
occurs world wide. The
United Kingdom Maritime and
Coastguard Agency produced a marine guidance note
(MGN 38). They recommend a design type for air condi-
tioning units to eliminate spray and effect proper
drainage. Further they recommend regular maintenance
to the filters. MGN 38 does not however mention shower
fittings.
An outbreak in Spain in the mid 80s, in which a number
of people died, was attributed to the condition of, and
the presence of the bacteria in the shower heads.
So what can we do? Well for a start we can
check the design and condition of our air
conditioning units to ensure that no bacteria
can live and reproduce there. Then we can
take a look at the cleanliness of shower head
and flexible pipe fittings. MCA M1214 recom-
mends routinely cleaning shower heads and
flexible piping every three months with a
chlorine solution. Further we should routinely
run the bathroom taps for a short period
prior to use.
Does this cover everything? Nearly, but
not quite, the United Kingdom MCA has
also M1214 and M1401 (shortly to be
replaced by a single guidance notice),
detailing the recommendations to prevent
contamination of fresh water storage and
distribution systems on ships. This is to
cover the threat of legionnaires, but also
contamination from toxic chemicals. This
recognizes the threat from shower units
but goes further to include the fresh water
tanks and the means for transferring the
water into these tanks from a shore facility.
Fresh water tanks are routinely treated, and
inspected by ships staff. However, do we
have suitably marked fresh water hoses,
only for the use of transferring water? Are
these hoses thoroughly drained after use?
Are they routinely disinfected and then
flushed through before use? Food for
thought or spawning ground for bacteria!
We are ever increasingly exposed to more
and more virulent bugs. Lets not make it
easy for them.
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8 July 2005 SAFETY BULLETIN
From the Desk of the Chief By Subashish Basak
Need More Hearing Protection?
Try Wearing Plugs & Muffs together
Ear plugs and ear muffs worn together provide greater protection than either device worn alone. This dual
protection also provides the wearer with an additional safety factor as each device is a backup for the other in
the event of failure or inadequate seal. This is particularly important in the case of impulsive noise.
Did You Know?
The resulting noise reduction is not the total of the two devices combined. The total level of noise reduction
provided is limited by the skull itself. Sound waves are all around us and the skull acts as a conductor of sound.
The two cochlear, or nerves of hearing, are encased in bone in the skull. Therefore, sound can be conducted
through the bone to the hearing nerve by vibration. Evidence suggests that the maximum probable protection is
equivalent to 35-40 dB.
When using a combination of plugs and muffs it is the quality of the plug that determines the effectiveness of the
combination. Similar levels of protection are obtained for plugs in combination with muffs which have both large
and small protection ratings. Note however, muffs with lower protection ratings are generally less bulky and more
comfortable to wear.
It essential that the ear plug is inserted deeply enough to avoid contact with the ear muff. NOTE: Ear plugs are
not recommended if wax, ear infection or any other medical condition relating to the ears is present.
Muffs are recommended in conjunction with ear plugs when a worker is exposed to extremely high noise
levels--105 decibels and above.
How to Tell If a Noise Is
Dangerous:
People differ in their sensitivity to noise. As a
general rule, noise may damage your hearing if
you have to shout over background noise to
make yourself heard, the noise hurts your ears, it
makes your ears ring, or you have difficulty hear-
ing for several hours after exposure to the noise.
There will be more on protection for CSC in the
August issue.