Do you know which cargoes and materials on board are oxygen-depleting?
The materials listed below are known to be capable of causing oxygen depletion. However, the list is not exhaustive. Oxygen depletion may also be caused by other materials of vegetable or animal origin, by flammable or spontaneously combustible materials and by materials with a high metal content, including, but not limited to:
- grain, grain products and residues from grain processing (such as bran, crushed grain, crushed malt or meal), hops, malt husks and spent malt;
- oilseeds as well as products and residues from oilseeds (such as seed expellers, seed cake, oil cake and meal);
- copra;
- wood in such forms as packaged timber, round wood, logs, pulpwood, props (pit props and other propwood), woodchips, woodshavings, wood pellets and sawdust;
- jute, hemp, flax, sisal, kapok, cotton and other vegetable fibers (such as esparto grass/Spanish grass, hay, straw, bhusa), empty bags, cotton waste, animal fibers, animal and vegetable fabric, wool waste and rags;
- fish, fishmeal and fish scrap;
- guano;
- sulphidic ores and ore concentrates;
- charcoal, coal, lignite and coal products;
- direct reduced iron (DRI);
- dry ice;
- metal wastes and chips, iron swarf, steel and other turnings, borings, drillings, shavings, filings and cuttings;
- scrap metal.
To mitigate risks, enclosed spaces and cargo holds must be ventilated, and oxygen levels should be monitored regularly using oxygen meters before entry. Proper ventilation and protective equipment are crucial to prevent asphyxiation hazards in such environments.
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