Conor Moseley death came 'after inhaling extinguisher particles'

Conor Moseley died at Newlyn Harbour last November

A man who died on a fishing boat inhaled some discharge from a fire suppression system being installed, accident investigators have said.

Conor Moseley, 20, died on board the Resurgam on 15 November 2019 while it was moored in Newlyn in west Cornwall.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said the aerosol system partially went off without warning.

It said a high concentration of suppressant particles "significantly contributed" to the death.

Local fishing company apprentice engineer Mr Moseley was one of four people in the engine room area.

In a safety bulletin, the MAIB said the system "partially and inadvertently discharged", filling the engine room with a "dense cloud" of particles.

The fire suppression system filled the Resurgam's engine room with a "dense cloud" of particles

Two installation contractors and an engineer managed to get out but Mr Moseley collapsed in the engine room.

The MAIB said it was still investigating the exact circumstances but it was issuing safety guidelines in the meantime, including:

• Vessel owners, operators and those working on aerosol fire extinguishing systems "should be fully aware of the potential risk to life from exposure to the aerosol particles"

• Safety precautions should be put in place to ensure personnel were not exposed to such a hazard, including visible and audible alarms before discharges

• Checks should also be made to ensure any protected compartment was evacuated before the system was activated

• When such systems were being installed or maintained, the system should be fully isolated to guard against inadvertent activation

• Non-essential personnel should be clear of the area during installation or maintenance and an enclosed space rescue plan should be in place