4 killed in an explosion at a shipyard in Ayutthaya

[rooster59]

4 killed in an explosion at a shipyard in Ayutthaya

AYUTTHAYA: Four workers were killed in an explosion at a shipyard in Ayutthaya province Friday afternoon.

Police said that the explosion occurred as four workers, including one Cambodian migrant worker, were doing a paint job inside the hull of a freighter under construction at the shipyard of Chartchai Cholatharnrungsawat Company located on the bank of Noi River in Bangsai district of Ayutthaya.

Police said they were investigating the cause of the blast.

But the supervisor in charge of the shipbuilding, Mr Niwat Srisith, said that the welding job was 80 percent completed leaving the paint job for the hull, both inside and outside.

He said that the four victims were doing a paint job inside the hull and they had with them three equipments namely an electric fan, a grinding machine and an air pump for painting.

He said that all the three equipment could produce sparks and there was inflammable thinner inside the hull where the painting was under way.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/4-killed-explosion-shipyard-ayutthaya/

-- Thai PBS 2016-07-02

[randyoon]

Bet they won't do that again. I don't think there are any safety standards at all in Thailand.

[Pomthai]

Bet they won't do that again. I don't think there are any safety standards at all in Thailand.

I bet they will.

[catinthehat]

But the supervisor in charge of the shipbuilding, Mr Niwat Srisith, said that the welding job was 80 percent completed leaving the paint job for the hull, both inside and outside.

He said that the four victims were doing a paint job inside the hull and they had with them three equipments namely an electric fan, a grinding machine and an air pump for painting.

He said that all the three equipment could produce sparks and there was inflammable thinner inside the hull where the painting was under way.

Seems he immediately was able to determine the cause. But took little or no measures to prevent it beforehand.It's a shame that he was not inside the hull of the barge with them.

[wvavin]

I am very sure this is an accident because I have very great faith in the Thai safety standard!

[ChrisY1]

No-one really cares.....4 deaths that would have been so easy to prevent, but it seems that laziness and ignorance are accepted traits......this will likely be regarded as an "unavoidable accident"!

[slapout]

For a additional cost all of the equipment mentioned that could have /did produce a spark to cause the explosion, could have

been replaced by equipment that would not. Just another example of going the cheapest route in outfitting your work crews, with

tools of the trade.

At least one man was aware of the danger, but mr, Niwat had to made do with what someone in purchasing, decided was adequate for the job. I am surprised the Cambodian was not blamed for lighting up a cig as the probable cause.

[b2bme]

These are the accidents resulting in death that make the news. So many hundreds, or thousands maybe are kept under wraps. We don't have the full story here so all speculation at this point. Mention of a welder but not clear if welding was taking place. I'd put my money on it that there was not permit to work for working in enclosed space or any hot work, or simultaneously carrying out different operations.Equipment not intrinsically safe. Unfortunate for the migrant workers who probably had little or no training and no job task induction. A concern is how the super structure has just opened up like a tin of sardines. Makes me wonder how sea worthy this vessel would have been and to what standards if any it was built to. RIP to the deceased and hope some learnings come from this incident. Wishful thinking though unfortunately.

[gandalf12]

But the supervisor in charge of the shipbuilding, Mr Niwat Srisith, said that the welding job was 80 percent completed leaving the paint job for the hull, both inside and outside.

He said that the four victims were doing a paint job inside the hull and they had with them three equipments namely an electric fan, a grinding machine and an air pump for painting.

He said that all the three equipment could produce sparks and there was inflammable thinner inside the hull where the painting was under way.

Seems he immediately was able to determine the cause. But took little or no measures to prevent it beforehand.It's a shame that he was not inside the hull of the barge with them.

If he knew all of this why didn't he do something about it or would that require effort and after all they were not Thai's?

[tuanku]

Well sparky stuff and paint thinner in an enclosed space was never a problem before! We've been doing it like this for years!

[gandalf12]

Well sparky stuff and paint thinner in an enclosed space was never a problem before! We've been doing it like this for years!

If you have you have been lucky. Stupid but lucky

[Mystified]

That is a lot of damage the boat yard better get on it. Scrape off the dead and filler up again safety 1st in Land of Broken Smiles. Sad 4 dead for lack of thinking

[tuanku]

Well sparky stuff and paint thinner in an enclosed space was never a problem before! We've been doing it like this for years!

If you have you have been lucky. Stupid but lucky

I was trying to ironic and imagining the justification from the ship yard. I, personally, have done very little ship building!

[Doc46]

Bet they won't do that again. I don't think there are any safety standards at all in Thailand.

I bet they will.

Not them 4,,,,they're gone,Many more to follow,,,Health & Safety non existing,,,,

[xerostar]

Sorry for the poor sods and their families.

All that hurry to finish the job quickly !

Now they'll be months behind schedule ..that's their main concern unfortunately.

Reminds me of a simple safety rule for driving "Better be a few minutes late, than dead on time .."

Or the other one: "never let a machine know you're in a hurry"

[TPI]

These are the accidents resulting in death that make the news. So many hundreds, or thousands maybe are kept under wraps. We don't have the full story here so all speculation at this point. Mention of a welder but not clear if welding was taking place. I'd put my money on it that there was not permit to work for working in enclosed space or any hot work, or simultaneously carrying out different operations.Equipment not intrinsically safe. Unfortunate for the migrant workers who probably had little or no training and no job task induction. A concern is how the super structure has just opened up like a tin of sardines. Makes me wonder how sea worthy this vessel would have been and to what standards if any it was built to. RIP to the deceased and hope some learnings come from this incident. Wishful thinking though unfortunately.

In my experience, even when you point out the obvious dangerous practices there will be no change! For instance, even a large fan blowing the fumes out of the hull would have solved the problem at minimal cost bot no one thought of it!

Why not? Low IQ, vanishing small EQ and absolute lazyness on the part of the supervisor (who should be charged, along with the owner of the yard) maybe, just maybe an inspection by a qualified OH &S inspector hired by the insurance company might be a good idea??

[MaiDong]

No-one really cares.....4 deaths that would have been so easy to prevent, but it seems that laziness and ignorance are accepted traits......this will likely be regarded as an "unavoidable accident"!

Suicide...

[elgordo38]

No-one really cares.....4 deaths that would have been so easy to prevent, but it seems that laziness and ignorance are accepted traits......this will likely be regarded as an "unavoidable accident"!

I think your wrong a scapegoat must be found somewhere and paraded in front of the media/cameras and an immediate crackdown on the work codes that were so obviously bypassed. These disasters make the involved parties the flogging flavor of the month. Three appliances that can cause sparks and thinners and paint in the same proximity is a receipt for disaster. It happens all over but this time ended in disaster.

[Shadychris]

Well sparky stuff and paint thinner in an enclosed space was never a problem before! We've been doing it like this for years!

If you have you have been lucky. Stupid but lucky

Oh dear.... Perhaps this might help you Gandalf:-

http://bfy.tw/ot

Edited July 2, 2016 by Shadychris

[gemguy]

Bet they won't do that again. I don't think there are any safety standards at all in Thailand.

Sadly...that will happen again as safety is not an aspect of the Thai mentality.

They can be taught, however they are more or less slooooooooow learners while the contractors are also not thinking safety rather thinking cheaply.

We know...or at least most of us know that when you are painting in an enclosed area with flammable liquids that can be considered explosive, if the right conditions are created, then welding inside the same enclosed area or near by could have explosive results...as those workers recently learned...the hard way.

Accidents happen in ship yards all over the world ...but the end result in most shipyards is the hard lesson is learned and the ship yard management does not let it happen again while the ship yard workers develop a more acute sense of what is not safe and potentially hazardous and they will and or are allowed to speak up and point out their concerns in an effort to stop any injures occurring to themselves.

But that is not the case here in Thailand most often.

They just start working and carry on working regardless of the hazards and even laugh it off as the work and work conditions are considered to be all manly, tough guy stuff while only wimps and whiners would complain about the hazards....such is the mentality......until they are educate other wise

Cheers

Edited July 2, 2016 by gemguy

[tomyumchai]

Bet they won't do that again. I don't think there are any safety standards at all in Thailand.

I bet they will.

yup.... their spirits will...

[Farmer1956]

But the supervisor in charge of the shipbuilding, Mr Niwat Srisith, said that the welding job was 80 percent completed leaving the paint job for the hull, both inside and outside.

He said that the four victims were doing a paint job inside the hull and they had with them three equipments namely an electric fan, a grinding machine and an air pump for painting.

He said that all the three equipment could produce sparks and there was inflammable thinner inside the hull where the painting was under way.

Seems he immediately was able to determine the cause. But took little or no measures to prevent it beforehand.It's a shame that he was not inside the hull of the barge with them.

If he knew all of this why didn't he do something about it or would that require effort and after all they were not Thai's?

It looks like a lack of adequate ventilation to me, this was an easily preventable accident. There is an apparent need for adequate risk assessments in order to implement safe systems of work.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

All's ship-shape aboard, Captain!!!

Freighter will be ready to sail by tomorrow.

Just a bit more touch-up painting to do.

[lvr181]

But the supervisor in charge of the shipbuilding, Mr Niwat Srisith, said that the welding job was 80 percent completed leaving the paint job for the hull, both inside and outside.

He said that the four victims were doing a paint job inside the hull and they had with them three equipments namely an electric fan, a grinding machine and an air pump for painting.

He said that all the three equipment could produce sparks and there was inflammable thinner inside the hull where the painting was under way.

Seems he immediately was able to determine the cause. But took little or no measures to prevent it beforehand.It's a shame that he was not inside the hull of the barge with them.

"Seems he immediately was able to determine the cause. But took little or no measures to prevent it beforehand.It's a shame that he was not inside the hull of the barge with them."

Yup, top quality stupidity practiced by an idiot! And who gave him his job?

May the deceased RIP and condolences to families and friends.

Edited July 3, 2016 by lvr181

[F4UCorsair]

Bet they won't do that again. I don't think there are any safety standards at all in Thailand.

There are strict safety standards in Australia, yet my neighbour was severely burnt in a fire at his workplace, welding spark ignited a 200 liter drum of a volatile substance. Even if standards are in place, workers forget, hurry, ignore warnings (it can't happen to me), habit (we've always done it this way),and a dozen other circumstances are created where an accident can occur.

A worker may get away with taking a risk fifty times, but eventually he will be caught out, and very sad events can result.

Edited July 3, 2016 by F4UCorsair

[apalink_thailand]

I recall doing a safety inspection on a construction site of a well known construction company and coming into a room where painters were using spray guns. Nobody wearing proper masks despite a fog of paint and dust in the air and most surprising, some hot work happening in the adjacent hallway, also filled with paint fumes. The pack of cigarettes and lighter in the room being painted further shocked me. Needless to say, I stopped the work immediately before the whole 14th floor went up in a blast. Unreal.

[apalink_thailand]

But the supervisor in charge of the shipbuilding, Mr Niwat Srisith, said that the welding job was 80 percent completed leaving the paint job for the hull, both inside and outside.

He said that the four victims were doing a paint job inside the hull and they had with them three equipments namely an electric fan, a grinding machine and an air pump for painting.

He said that all the three equipment could produce sparks and there was inflammable thinner inside the hull where the painting was under way.

Seems he immediately was able to determine the cause. But took little or no measures to prevent it beforehand.It's a shame that he was not inside the hull of the barge with them.

If he knew all of this why didn't he do something about it or would that require effort and after all they were not Thai's?

Because...."mai pben rai". Smiles everybody, smiles. Most of these local construction companies either do not employ a qualified safety man or they expect him to just shut up and turn the other cheek. More often than not, if there is a safety guy, he is not properly trained and certified, is limited as to what he can do regarding stop works and interventions and can usually be found in one of the construction sheds sleeping or playing around on his smart phone. He is to be seen and not heard.

[Balance]

But the supervisor in charge of the shipbuilding, Mr Niwat Srisith, said that the welding job was 80 percent completed leaving the paint job for the hull, both inside and outside.

He said that the four victims were doing a paint job inside the hull and they had with them three equipments namely an electric fan, a grinding machine and an air pump for painting.

He said that all the three equipment could produce sparks and there was inflammable thinner inside the hull where the painting was under way.

Seems he immediately was able to determine the cause. But took little or no measures to prevent it beforehand.It's a shame that he was not inside the hull of the barge with them.

Based on the photo, this was an explosion as it ripped up the deck joint for what looks like 20 meters plus the damage to the stern. That is a lot of paint thinner that had to be in the air, not in a container. It could have been avoided with a 10,000 B ventilation fan. I will bet that Mr. Niwat could not pass a basic test of how volatile gases build up and what steps need to be taken when spray painting with oil based (probably epoxy) paint in enclosed spaces. He should also be held accoutable for the deaths of the men.