Universal-Gloria Ship Details and Seafarer Feedback

An investigation by Australia’s Transport Safety Bureau has revealed alarming deficiencies in the training of a third officer involved in a recent incident aboard the MV Universal Gloria. The officer, who was on his inaugural assignment, suffered serious burns after a fire erupted due to a catastrophic failure while using an air compressor intended for filling an oxygen breathing apparatus (OBA) cylinder. The incident occurred when the officer detected that one of the OBA cylinders stored in the fire locker was at a dangerously low pressure of approximately 7 MPa, far below the standard 20 MPa. Attempting to rectify the situation, he removed the cylinder and brought it to the steering compartment to refill it using the air compressor. However, the discharge hose connector of the compressor did not fit the OBA cylinder. In search of a solution, the third officer located an adaptor that allowed him to connect the compressor discharge hose to the OBA cylinder. After carefully checking the connections, he proceeded to open the oxygen cylinder valve. Unfortunately, as he reached to start the compressor, the discharge tube suddenly exploded. This incident was likely caused by a significant temperature rise in the oxygen-rich environment created within the discharge hose due to adiabatic compression, which exceeded the auto-ignition temperature of the compressor's oil, triggering the explosion. Engulfed in flames, the third mate quickly regained his composure and evacuated the steering compartment. An able seaman reported the fire to the bridge, and swiftly retrieved a portable fire extinguisher from the engine room, managing to extinguish the flames. The investigation highlighted the officer's lack of understanding regarding the distinction between oxygen and air, as well as the implications of their different compositions—air comprises 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, while the green cylinders indicated a fill of air, not pure oxygen. This misunderstanding was exacerbated by inadequate training, along with the ship’s safety management system, which offered insufficient guidance on the operation and maintenance of OBA systems. Moreover, the absence of engineering controls prevented the inadvertent connection of OBA cylinders to the air compressor. Fortunately, the fire did not lead to extensive damage to the Universal Gloria, although the ship’s firefighting manual was primarily designed for vehicle deck emergencies aboard car carriers and provided little help in addressing a situation on a woodchip carrier.