Safety Alert
Using portable petrol/diesel salvage pumps in a confined space.

Two crewmen on board  a fishing vessel  had a lucky escape this week after being asphyxiated by fumes from a portable petrol driven salvage pump.

This incident happened on a 22m vessel fitted with an open shelterdeck

The wooden vessel had sprung a leak and was taking in water in the fish room.  The portable salvage pump was rigged up  and was pumping  water , but for some reason, either a lack of suction head or inadequate length of hose the pump was operating  in the fish room.

One crewman went in to the fish room to attend the pump but he fell in the fish room. The second crewman instinctively went to help but was also overcome by fumes.

Luckily both survived.

Lessons to be learned.

a)  Only use a Petrol/diesel portable pump on an open deck.

b ) If you carry a salvage pump try it out to ensure that it will work on the open deck ie suction is long enough and pump has sufficient power to lift the water.

c) In an emergency, take stock of the situation before rushing in and becoming another casualty

Surveyors

When a pump is required to be carried have it demonstrated from the open deck to prevent recurrence of a similar incident.