Gas risks

North P&I Club has joined forces with the Shipowners’ Club to publish a technical loss prevention briefing on how to minimise potentially lethal gas risks arising from poor operation and maintenance of refrigeration systems on fishing vessels. Both North, particularly since its merger with Sunderland Marine in February 2014, and Shipowners’ are leading liability insurers to the global fishing industry. Causal factors include fishing crews being unaware of the hazards of fluorocarbon and ammonia gas refrigerants; poor condition of the refrigeration plant and its components; poor standards of operation and maintenance of the refrigeration plant; and the positioning of unprotected refrigeration plant and equipment on the back deck or in busy working areas, with insufficient warning signage and impact protection.