PREVENTING FIRE ONBOARD
In 2020, there was an average of one fire incident every two weeks onboard ships across the shipping industry. The number of fires/ explosions resulting in total losses of vessels increased again year- on-year in 2021, hitting a four-year high of 10, with subsequent loss of life.
4 COMMON CAUSES OF FIRE ONBOARD FROM INDUSTRY:
1. OIL LEAKAGE: Leakage from high-pressure fuel oil pipes is the most common risk for fire onboard as oil from these pipes can accidentally ignite at high temperature areas. EXAMPLE CASE: A cruise ship left Livorno, Italy, with around 2,000 people onboard, when smoke and flames erupted from an auxiliary engine. The fire was contained without casualties and the ship safely returned to Livorno. It was found that during a maintenance check earlier in the day, the main fuel oil supply and return lines had been dismantled and replaced with new pipes, damaging an O-ring, which led to a fuel oil leak close to the turbocharger and the aft exhaust gas manifold. PREVENTIVE MEASURES: DO: Insulate any hot surface with a temperature above 220 degree C to prevent any oil encountering a hot surface DON’T: Invest in poor quality materials regarding pipes and/or associated fittings.
2. ELECTRICAL FAILURES: Leaving personal electronic items unattended always entails risks, as there have been cases of faulty devices, overloading extension cables and plugs leading to a fire mishap. EXAMPLE CASE: A faulty mobile phone charger caused fire in a seafarer’s cabin onboard an RMI- flagged ship. It was found that the charger was left plugged in while unattended and an electrical short circuit ignited paper on a desk. PREVENTIVE MEASURES: DO: Remove defective equipment from use/ service, when damage is identified. DON’T: Use multi-gang extension leads and high current devices onboard.
12 SEAS MAGAZINE // ISSUE 5
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