CUI Major Incident# 4: Kawasaki Fuel Oil Leakage

Kawasaki Fuel Oil Leakage

Date and Place of the Incident:

On July 7, 1993, a fuel oil leak occurred during transfer at a refinery in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan.

Summary of the Incident:

1. During loading, fuel oil leaked from a piping of a marine loading equipment.
2. The leak occurred from a corroded pipe which lacked adequate surface treatment and was unprotected against sea water splashing.
3. Approximately 2 liters of fuel oil leaked into the sea.

Root Cause of the Incident:

1. Corrosion under insulation was the root cause of the incident.
2. Poor surface treatment permitted allowed the rust to remain and the sea water to corrode the pipe.
3. Due to loss of thickness, fuel leaked from the corroded pipe after an hour of oil transfer.

Financial Loss to Freedom Industries:

The fuel oil leak had minimal or no financial charges but a similar incident already occurred in 1990 wherein 190 liters of oil leaked has caused significant impact to the company.

Environmental Impact of the Incident:

Sea and marine pollution was the damage done by the estimated 2 liter fuel oil leak.

Fatality or injury due to the Incident:

No injuries or fatalities were recorded during the time of the incident.

 Non-Compliance of Safety Guidelines and Reliability Practices:

1. Inadequate risk recognition during oil transfer.
2. Insufficient surface treatment of the fuel oil piping.
3. Lack of proper visual assessment and inspection for the piping.

Recommendations to Avoid Corrosion:

1. Perform adequate pipe inspection practices.
2. Conduct proper surface treatment to protect the piping and remove rust.
3. Implement thickness monitoring and measurement for the operating pipes.

Links to the photos/videos:

The websites below provide full access to the incident report, useful insights, and related images.

http://www.shippai.org/fkd/en/cfen/CC1000185.html

https://minerva.jrc.ec.europa.eu/en/shorturl/minerva/mahb_bulletin_no4_final_forthewebpdf