How to ensure safe bunkering practice

Captain David Nichol, at UK P&I Club, provides some practical suggestions to improve safety around bunkering

While bunkering operations are routine, they are critical, high-risk operations, requiring careful planning and execution in accordance with established shipboard procedures. The vast majority of bunker transfers are carried out without incident. However, things can and do go wrong. A loss of containment due to a tank overflow, or leakage from pipeline or transfer hose failure, may result in oil spilling overboard and polluting the marine environment.