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2021 IN REVIEW | Fires and Explosions In association with Jensen Hughes
In search of a safer future at sea
Marine fires and explosions continue to rise in number and severity and the predicted increase in world trade in 2022 will inevitably see a futher escalation in events. Highly experienced fire investigator John Gow based in our European Region of Jensen Hughes the global safety, security and risk based engineering and consulting firm says that practical and effective solutions that will help reduce the number and impact of onboard fires are needed With more than 50,000 ships registered in more than 150 nations, the international shipping industry is responsible for about 90% of world trade. Yet, as the industry expands, the sector faces significant safety challenges, including those related to fire and explosion. The fire peril is never far from the mind of the maritime sector. The Allianz Global & Corporate Speciality (AGCS) “Safety and Shipping Review 2021 ” reports that fire claims “buck the positive overall trend for hull losses.” In 2019 there were 40 cargo-related fires - equivalent to one fire every ten days . The Nordic Association of Marine Insurers (Cefor) noted a slight fall in the number of ship fires in 2020, but this is still above average, with approximately one fire The Marine Insurer | January 2022
occurring every two weeks. 2021 has seen several ship fires thus far. The X Press Pearl fire off the coast of Sri Lanka in May 2021 has been described as the country’s worst maritime ecological disaster. After burning for around 12 days, the vessel sank and reportedly lost approximately 15 tonnes of nitric acid. Other cargo was lost following the fire with some spillage into the sea. In October 2021, a fire broke out on the MV ZIM Kingston, a fully cellular container ship built in 2008. While sailing off the coast of British Columbia, at least 10 of the ship’s cargo containers caught fire, two of which were carrying dangerous mining chemicals. Additionally, rough weather caused 40 containers carrying potentially hazardous materials to fall overboard, putting mariners at significant risk.
