Safety Flash
Oil leakage from cylinder head cover
Oil leakage from cylinder head cover
- IMCA
- Safety Flash
- IMCA SF 34/21
- Hot Work and FireHydrocarbon ReleaseInspection and MaintenanceMachinery and Equipment
- FireHydrocarbon releaseMechanical failure
- Inspection and maintenance
- Rotating machinery
- Fire protectionPre-use checks
- Marine industry
- Vessel
Summary
Following planned maintenance, a misaligned main-engine cylinder cover left a 3 mm sealing gap. Vessel list concealed the oil leakage until a turn to port. Engineers repositioned the cover and removed spilled oil, which was beginning to vaporise beneath the exhaust gas line, then established a fire watch.
Classifications: Fire; fire safety.
Classifications: Hydrocarbon release; hydrocarbon leak; oil and gas release.
Classifications: Mechanical failure; equipment failure.
Classifications: Inspection and maintenance; asset inspection; equipment maintenance.
Classifications: Rotating machinery; rotating equipment.
Classifications: Fire protection; fire suppression; fire detection.
Classifications: Pre-use checks; pre-use inspection.
Classifications: Marine industry; shipping industry; maritime sector.
Classifications: Vessel; aboard ship; onboard vessel.
Summary
A misaligned engine cover allowed oil to leak onto hot engine components, creating a potential fire.
IMCA SF 34/21. Themes: hot work and fire, hydrocarbon release, inspection and maintenance, machinery and equipment.