Entry to enclosed space on fishing vessel Sunbeam with loss of 1 life
Location: Fraserburgh, Scotland.
Investigation report into marine accident including what happened, safety lessons learned, action taken and recommendations:
Summary
On 14 August 2018, a second engineer on board the pelagic trawler Sunbeam was asphyxiated and died in one of the vessel’s refrigerated salt water tanks. Sunbeam was in Fraserburgh and the refrigerated salt water tanks had been emptied of water in preparation for cleaning. Entry into Sunbeam’s refrigerated salt water tanks, which were enclosed spaces, was routine business for the crew, both when operating the tanks at sea and during maintenance in harbour. On this occasion, the atmosphere could not support life because Freon gas had leaked into the tank, displacing the air.