Conveyor belt at Port of Paranaguá is closed due to explosion risk

One of the main overhead conveyors for transporting grains to ships at the Port of Paranaguá was shut down on Wednesday (3) due to the risk of explosion. The equipment is responsible for the operation of the Export Terminal.

The decision came from auditors from the Ministry of Labor, who found that the structure had serious maintenance problems and an excessive assembly of dust. The inspection identified a dust layer of up to 20 centimeters, while the maximum allowed by Brazilian standards is only half a centimeter. According to the auditors, the buildup could create a concentration of gases in these areas, with an imminent risk of explosion with any spark.

The company responsible for the structure was notified and must take all measures required by the inspection to resume the normal operation of the conveyor.

The shutdown could cause delays in ship loading at the Port of Paranaguá.

Correio do Litoral contacted Appa, which manages the public company Ports do Paraná, for clarification, and this content will be updated if there is a response. Unlike the usual procedure, Ports do Paraná did not issue a clarification note on its official website.

Auditors found several signs of irregularities

Labor inspectors, linked to the Labor Inspection Secretariat (SIT) of the Ministry of Labor, carried out a large inspection operation at the Port of Paranaguá on Tuesday and Wednesday (2nd and 3rd) to investigate complaints of irregularities in some areas, including health and safety risks at an important grain export terminal.

According to the agency, there were indications of both minor and more serious deficiencies that, if not immediately resolved, could lead to accidents.

According to Diego Alfaro, coordinator of the Port Division at the Labor Inspection Secretariat in Paraná, several problems were identified from the outset.

“We went up to the conveyor belts in the export corridor and identified several irregularities, from the fire protection system, the lack of fire-fighting equipment, to open holes, leading to the possibility of workers falling,” he said.

In one of the warehouses inspected by the inspection team, they found electrical installations in a precarious state of conservation, with little maintenance, in the same place where several tons of grains are unloaded, posing a serious risk of explosion.

The excess grain dust suspended in the air and on the ground can become a fuel when combined with oxygen and an ignition source.

February Fire Call Attention to Irregularities

On February 23, there was a fire in one of the six belts of the export corridor, at berth 214. The supply was interrupted, and the ships at berths 212 and 213 were undocked preventively.

The causes of the fire have not yet been reported by Appa – Portos do Paraná. The last note about the accident is from February 24 and informed that “the causes of the fire will be investigated by the competent authorities.”

According to the Labor Inspection Secretariat, the incident revealed evidence of signs of irregularities in the operations, in addition to other anonymous complaints received by the agency.

Some of the companies inspected this week had already been notified in an inspection carried out in previous years. At the time, the problems were resolved. During the pandemic, inspections were less frequent, and this work will now be resumed more diligently.

Source: Correio do Litoral 

Click here to view the original news report: https://www.correiodolitoral.com/esteira-no-porto-de-paranagua-e-interditada-por-risco-de-explosao/75971

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