IMCA Safety Flash 06/17

Focus: Fire Safety

There are four recent incidents in this safety flash all involving fire or the risk of fire.

The first involves an actual galley fire which was extinguished by automatic equipment. Lack of knowledge, inadequate maintenance and work standards and lack of skill and poor practice were amongst the root causes identified.

The next two incidents deal with near misses where equipment failure caused smoke or a small fire. In both cases the presence of smoke triggered automatic smoke detection systems, causing a General Alarm. The prompt and professional response of the vessel crew ensured that neither incident got out of control. The second of these incidents was caused by fuel impacting on hot metal.

The final near miss, in which during a drill the vessel bridge was found to have no control of the emergency fire pump, could have led to a serious issue in the event of a real fire.

Members may wish to reiterate the importance of taking fire drills seriously. Another interesting question emerging from one of these incidents is, how do we manage a real emergency that starts during a drill?

Read the Safety Flash: IMCASF06-17