Four workers confirmed dead in STX shipbuilding explosion
2017-08-21 09:00
The cause of death of the four workers who died in the STX Ocean Shipbuilding explosion on August 20 has been confirmed not to be suffocation from the explosion, but rather due to failure to wear the designated respirator for confined spaces, as required. This also confirms that STX Shipbuilding has safety hazards in its management.
At around 11:30 a.m. local time on August 20, an explosion occurred on a ship under construction at STX Shipbuilding in Changwon, South Korea. oil tanker A sudden explosion occurred on an painting work, resulting in the unfortunate deaths of four workers who were working inside a 12-meter-deep oil tank.
According to Korean media reports, on August 22, the South Korea Maritime Police Agency's Investigation Headquarters stated that it could be confirmed that the deceased workers were wearing gas masks instead of respirators at the time of the incident. According to relevant regulations, when working in confined spaces, personnel must wear respirators and air respirators.
In addition, the Investigation Headquarters confirmed that the cause of death of the four workers was suffocation caused by the explosion. The investigation results of the bodies of the deceased showed that the deceased workers had no obvious external injuries, and their respiratory tracts and lungs were covered with a thick layer of coal dust. Therefore, these workers may have still been breathing after the explosion. The Investigation Headquarters believes that the four workers survived the explosion and then died of suffocation.
A maritime police officer, Kim Tae-gyun, who is in charge of investigating the accident, said that the main cause of the explosion may have been an electric spark. The investigation found that there were a total of 4 personal lighting equipment, 8 larger lighting equipment, and 4 ventilation equipment inside the oil tank where the explosion occurred.
Kim pointed out that preliminary investigation results showed that the wire sheaths of some personal lighting equipment had cracked, and another large lighting equipment had been damaged. Currently, the police have not yet confirmed whether the electric spark combined with flammable gases in the air would cause an explosion. At the time of the accident, the oil tank may have been filled with undried paint produced gas.
Kim Young-min, head of the STX Shipbuilding safety department, said that at the time of the accident, no grinding or welding work was being carried out inside the oil tank, and this work had been completed before the relevant workers carried out the painting work. Currently, STX Shipbuilding has not yet determined the source of the fire.
The oil tank where the explosion occurred is 3.7 meters long, 7.3 meters wide, and 10.5 meters high, with an entrance 1 meter wide, located on the third underground floor of the oil tanker under construction. Relevant authorities said that because part of the oil tank has been damaged, it will take nearly a week before further inspection results are available.
In addition, relevant departments are also investigating whether STX Shipbuilding violated safety regulations. An official from the Changwon City Employment Labor Bureau said that before workers are allowed to enter confined spaces to work, the company must confirm that there are no risks in the workplace. The Employment Labor Bureau will investigate whether STX Shipbuilding skipped similar procedures.
An employee of STX Shipbuilding explained that after checking the oxygen and other condition levels inside the oil tank, a safety inspector of the company approved the workers to carry out painting work at about 8:35 a.m. on August 20.
According to International Ship Network, the ship involved in the incident is a 74,000-dwt product tanker ordered by Andriaki Shipping Co. Ltd., a company under the Greek shipowner J. Goulandris. This shipowner ordered four 74,000-dwt product tankers from STX Jinhae Shipyard, all of which were delivered in 2017. The ship involved in this accident was scheduled to be delivered in October this year, and the construction work has been completed by about 90%.
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