The UK P&I Club has urged crew to check ship to ship transfer (STS) hoses after a spill involving a tanker.
Senior loss prevention executive David Nichol said an unnamed vessel had been fixed for a transfer operation offshore.
A flexible cargo hose supplied by the STS company was connected between the respective vessels' manifolds.
During the operation, the hose ruptured near the receiving ship's manifold, causing oil to spray on deck and overboard.
The crew responded immediately by raising the alarm, instructing the storage vessel to stop the transfer and by taking prompt action to confine and collect oil spillage on deck. Only a very small quantity was released into the sea.
Nichol said the investigation into the incident concluded that the failure of the hose was related to its condition as there was no evidence that the agreed pumping rate or pressure in the system was exceeded.
Markings on the hose indicated that it was last pressure tested more than two years before the incident and no valid certificate of inspection and test could be produced on demand.
He added: “The crew should carefully inspect transfer hoses as far as safely accessible and request access to the hose documentation, cross checking that identification markings match up and protesting any defects or anomalies. Industry guidelines require that periodic tests of hoses are undertaken at intervals not exceeding 12 months.”
He said: "This incident demonstrates the vital importance of the crew keeping a vigilant deck watch during transfer operations and in responding rapidly to contain a spill in accordance with drilled procedures."
