How safe is your vessel or workplace?
Following on from last week’s newsletter regarding Emergency Preparedness and Procedures – we wanted to take a closer look at an AMSA case more closely for the lessons learned.
A commercial fishing vessel was on a voyage in Queensland when the master noticed an auxiliary engine alarm. Upon lifting the engine room hatch, the master saw smoke and an orange glow and the engine room subsequently caught fire. The master quickly made the decision that they would not be able to fight the fire without jeopardising their safety and abandoned ship. An SMS risk assessment on appropriate crewing on a voyage greater than 12 hours duration should be undertaken in these situations.
A Class 3B commercial fishing vessel, on voyage, when the master, being the only one onboard, became alarmed by a change in engine sound. Moments later, they noticed alarms for the auxiliary engine were activated on the panel at the helm position. The master left the helm position to check the machinery and engine room, leaving the engine in gear. The master opened the engine hatch and discovered smoke and a glowing orange colour in the engine room. They returned to the helm to disengage the main engine & on turning back, saw flames coming from the engine hatch. The master made a rapid decision not to fight the fire as they risked entrapment if they could not get past the fire to the vessels aft where a tender was secured. The master went aft and boarded the tender. The tender was momentarily caught under the back of the vessel and the master fell partially into the water. The master freed the tender and moved away from the vessel. The vessel burned to the waterline and subsequently sank. No injuries were reported.
The investigation identified the following contributory factors:
1. Training is essential.
The Master should have automatically known to close the engine hatch to avoid introducing oxygen and accelerating the situation.
The Master did show knowledge, by making the prompt decision to Abandon Ship and follow appropriate procedures.
2. Check Equipment / Maintain Frequently
It appears the vessel was not fitted with a fire suppression system in the Engine Room, and whilst not required, would have saved the vessel in this case, so we encourage you to rethink and ensure all equipment, especially safety is installed and maintained.
3. Procedures are up-to-date and inducted regularly
The Fire Emergency Air Vents nor the fuel shut off system were activated showing that procedures where either not followed, not updated or even not written!
4. Fatigue Risk Management Plan
It is now law, that EVERY commercial vessel holds a Fatigue Risk Management Plan to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the vessel and crew. Whilst we are unsure in this case of the Masters fatigue levels, we should all be aware of Fatigue, it’s dangers and ensuring you have a plan to cover all scenarios.
Over the last 12 months we’ve undertaken several Safety Audits both on vessels and in workplaces ashore and conducted multiple onboard training sessions where fire safety was compromised.
Here’s a short list of things we’ve discovered during our Safety Audits and training sessions:
All of the above put the vessels at risk in the event of a fire onboard, especially in the engine room.
While the above list is based on vessels many of the items are also relevant to workplaces such as factories, offices, etc.
Fire extinguishers that have been discharged or otherwise become inoperable should never be onboard or in the workplace, they must be serviced when due.
Check the gauge on a regular basis and if it is in the RECHARGE section, get it recharged immediately!
Do you have Dry Chemical extinguishers on your vessel in your workplace? If yes ensure you know what class they are as there are two classes for Dry Chemical extinguishers, these are:
ABE Type :
BE Type:
Air shut offs that do not fully operate put your vessel at risk. You need to check them for full operation regularly, especially after a refit where painting has been undertaken.
The picture below was supplied by AMSA as an example of a damaged air dampener.
Fuel Shut offs: The location and operation of your fuel shut offs is also critical for your safety in the event of an engine room fire. These should also be checked regularly for effective operation.
The picture below is an example of a cable operated fuel shut off.
Fire hydrants and fire hoses are fitted on many vessels, but we’ve found ‘lay flats” hoses that were in disrepair, one that even feel apart when pulled out!
For your safety and the safety of your crew, workers and/or clients and vessel or premises ensure you have a procedure in place and that you undertake regular drills.
Secondly make sure all crew and workers can identify the classes of extinguishers and their specific uses.
Also, it’s critical to your safety that you undertake regular checks of ALL your firefighting apparatus and equipment to ensure it works when required.
Training, Training, Training! Whether you complete the training and inductions yourself or engage Shorlink to complete on your behalf – training does truly save lives. Ensure your training and inductions are up-to-date and the necessary forms have been completed in your SMS.
If you have any questions or doubts, please feel free to reach out to us on (07) 4242 1412.
