Inspection Detail

Inspection: 110130911 - Offshore Shipbuilding, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Jacksonville Area Office

Investigation Summary

At the time of the explosion, Employees #1 and #2 were moving electrical lighting and spray painting equipment in the center compartment or hold of a 300 foot Bainbridge barge that was being built. Although 10 hours of painting had been completed, Employees #1 and #2 were preparing the holds for more painting. The paint had been mixed with methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) at a ratio of 4 1/2 to 5 gallons of MEK per 10 gallons of paint. There was no mechanical exhaust ventilation in the hold and one of the access holes to the hold was shut. No tests were done of the atmospheric conditions of the hold prior to entry. The electrical equipment in the hold (lights, flexible cords with splices and poor insulation, four receptacle outlets) was not approved for a Class I, Group D atmosphere. It is possible that when the employees were moving the equipment, an electrical spark ignited the explosion and fire. Employees #1 and #2 died.

Keywords: MEK, SHIPYARD, VENTILATION, CONFINED SPACE, FLAMMABLE VAPORS, FIRE, PAINT, EXPLOSION, SPARK, CHEMICAL VAPOR