why i will not work at shipyards despite the good $$$

Confined Spaces on Board Vessels – Death Traps at Shipyards

In 2004, there were three accidents involving confined space work on board ships undergoing repairs and maintenance in which victims suffered asphyxiation from lack of oxygen:

• A ship crew collapsed and died from oxygen deficiency inside a cargo tank while trying to retrieve a helmet which had accidentally dropped inside the tank by a surveyor. The tank was inerted with nitrogen and was being loaded with butanol, a flammable liquid, at the time of the accident.

• A 28 year old surveyor became unconscious when he entered a ballast tank on board a barge. Two workers also became unconscious while trying to rescue him. All three were rescued. Unfortunately, the surveyor suffered permanent brain damage with severely impaired function. The other two victims have fully recovered. Investigations showed that the accident was due to oxygen deficiency and exposure to high concentration of carbon monoxide.

• Two crew members on board a fishing vessel collapsed inside a fish hold shortly after they entered the freezer tank to carry out cleaning work. Both were rescued and have since recovered. The tank was used for temporary storage of diesel fuel, and had contained residual diesel from the last refueling. Investigations showed that the victims were likely to have been affected by lack of oxygen and high level of hydrocarbon vapours.