The Fire and Rescue Services Department will slap notice on Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACT) in the backdrop of the massive leak of ammonia from one of its bullet tanks that were being ferried on a barge along the Champakkara canal on Friday evening.
The notice will seek to ensure adequate security arrangements on board the vessels transporting hazardous cargo to and from FACT’s Kochi divisions. The department is also gearing up for a comprehensive safety audit in the industrial belt of Eloor, for which the fire station concerned has been asked to identify industrial units handling hazardous chemicals.
Officials said none of the barges ferrying chemicals from FACT had safety systems on board, let alone security apparatus for crew members. The notice is being issued in view of the alleged negligence by the company while transporting a hazardous chemical.
“The vessels are operated by a private contractor, and their crew members have no expertise in handling hazardous cargo in the event of a leakage,” R. Prasad, Divisional Fire Officer, Kochi, told The Hindu .
A copy of the notice will be sent to the District Collector so as to expedite the adoption of the suggested safety measures.
Let alone security apparatus such as ammonia suit and mask, the barge did not even have a pumpset on board to dilute the chemical. “The crew had no idea as to how the leakage could be contained, as they seemed to bother about only potential operational hazards. The leakage could be spotted only after we brought two floating pump sets and began pumping water into the tank,” the officer added.
The revelation contradicts FACT’s claims that the crew had been trained in tackling emergency situations, and that the barge had the basic safety equipment in place.
Meanwhile, officials attributed the leakage to a crack on the steel, though earlier reports had suggested that the tank’s valve had come off. “The expert team from FACT plugged the crack temporarily around 11.15 p.m. on Friday, though rescue work continued till 3 a.m. on Saturday. The tanks were later shifted to FACT,” they said.
Hail Mary, the barge involved in the accident, operated by Kochi-based Back Water Navigation Company, was commissioned in 2013 for transporting ammonia from the port to the Udyogamandal plant. It was in 2013 FACT began transporting ammonia through the National Waterway III in barges to avert accidents.
