Safety issues regarding the use of ammonia as propellant in marine engine rooms - A case study looking to explore the dangers of ammonia exposure and how to minimize personal injuries

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Examensarbete på grundnivå
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2021
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Gerhardsson, Jimmy
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With new, greener fuels entering the field of maritime propulsion technology, there are countless new challenges ahead regarding everything from economic, environmental, legal, safety, etc. This case study will focus on one such fuel; ammonia. Ammonia shows a lot of promise, and larger companies are already taking steps to prepare for a possible large-scale switch to ammonia from MDO fuels (Al-Aboosi et al., 2021; Dimitriou & Javaid, 2020). This study aims to get a grasp on the many personal safety issues regarding working with ammonia onboard merchant vessels. The focus remains on the toxic nature of ammonia and the safety of crewmembers as well as an examination on ammonias flammability and fire safety issues compared to that of fossil fuels. Of course, there are world-spanning organisations devoted solely to these kinds of issues (International Maritime Organization, 2015). Regulations and safety standards will eventually without a doubt cover the points made in this thesis. However, as this new technology is being developed, it makes sense to look at these issues from as many perspectives as possible, and this is what this thesis aims to provide. This study does not focus much on the economic and environmental aspects of the fuel. The main questions examined here are: What new hazards will engine workers face working with this new fuel, and what can be done to limit and/or prevent these hazards? What was found was that there are many risks regarding the potential health effects of ammonia exposure, both long-term and short-term, as well as the potential risk of onboard fire/explosion and risks regarding the long-term storage of the chemical. It was, however, also concluded that many of these risks can be minimized through protective measures, such as portable safety equipment, Fixed safety equipment, safety regulations and crew education. Due to the lack of data regarding this new technology, the information had to be gathered from: scientific articles, safety data sheets, relevant existing safety regulations from IMO, and case examples from different industries, such as farming, sanitation, and chemical production/transport in order to find relevant information on the subject. Much of the data studied was provided by the Chalmers University of Technology and Chalmers Library.
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ammonia , Fuel , Maritime Industry , Engine Room , Safety , Hazards , fire , explosion , Toxicity
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