Three inland vessels with toxic gas on board can unload cargo

Three inland vessels that are stationary in Zwolle, Utrecht and Veghel with a toxic load of grain from Poland on board, can unload their cargo in the short term. Sunniva Fluitsma of the ASV, an interest group for skippers, confirms this. The ships have been chained since last Tuesday.

The ships Coby, Imatra and Semper Spera brought wheat from Poland to animal feed company De Heus Voeders. The grain was transported by train to the Netherlands and transferred to the ships in Oss.

In the hold of the ships a too high concentration of the gas phosphine. Phosphine is put in the hold in the form of pills to disinfect the cargo so that no vermin can get to it. It is unclear why the gas was on board the ships and why the concentration of phosphine was so high. Skippers have previously become seriously ill.

Degassing

A solution was found yesterday: the ships could degas their cargo on IJsseloog, an artificial island in the Ketelmeer, south of the Noordoostpolder.

Still, the problem was not solved: measurement reports first had to show that the people on board could safely enter the wheelhouses and engine rooms. In addition, two of the three skippers said they would not sail until a lifeboat and compensation were arranged.

According to Fluitsma of the ASV, those requirements are met. “The ship Imatra from Zwolle has arrived at the Ketelmeer and the Semper Spera from Veghel is on its way. Only the Coby from Utrecht must first be straightened before the ship can leave, which will happen early next week.” She expects the last ship to be unloaded by the middle of next week.

‘Schipper smoke garlic’

Fluitsma says that the high concentration of phosphine was already smelled during the transshipment of the train onto the ships in Oss. A garlic scent is often added to phosphine, so that the gas can be smelled. “A skipper noticed that it smelled like garlic, but then the three ships were loaded. Nothing has been checked.” Only in Utrecht did an employee of animal feed company De Heus Voeders use measuring equipment to determine the concentration that was too high.

Normally, phosphine is added to shiploads, says Fluitsma. “Normally it does not come to the Netherlands by train at all. Seagoing vessels are on the road for a long time and phosphine is added to the hold to keep vermin away. Moreover, the gas loses its effectiveness over time, making it better suited for seagoing vessels.” She points out that the gas lasts longer in dry conditions.

The question is how the phosphine ended up in the hold and why this was not known. Fluitsma says that phosphine is generally added to a load by the producer of the goods. “But suppose that the producer has reported it properly, but the skippers have not been warned, then the responsibility lies elsewhere.”

A spokesperson for the Inspectorate SZW, which ensures that work is carried out under healthy and safe working conditions, says that the ships and the silo in Oss were shut down when the excessive concentrations came to light.

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