Page 19 - CHIRP annual digest 2016.pdf

CHIRPAnnual Digest 2016

to the room below in order to feed pipework through the Article. 15
penetrations. An Unattended Galley Range; Risk of
Fire
Prior to the incident the pipe fitter supervisor had checked
the area and shown the two pipe fitters the work and A casserole containing oil was left unattended in the oven
location that they had to complete the task. A burner and or on the range; oil leaked through small holes at the side.
firewatcher were called in order to assist with the This case is a classic near-miss. Fire did not break out, but
penetrations. The firewatcher signed out a ‘damping’ it could easily have done so.
extinguisher in order to dampen the area directly below
any penetrations, which were pop marked to show the
exact location. He used this equipment for damping down
all three penetrations. The Permit to work was followed
and the local area cleared before work started.

What might have happened.
Lessons to be learnt
Galleys are high-risk areas. Power should be switched
off at the end of each use, whenever the galley is left
unattended, and at the end of each working day. The
fitting of external galley power breakers, which do not
require entry to galley spaces, is a wise additional
precaution.

In this case an unattended leaking casserole repre -
sented a long-term hazard, indicating a poor sense of
hygiene and awareness of risk.
CHIRP Suggests
Maintain particular vigilance in galleys, and invariably
include them in rounds routines by day and night.
The above article was published in MFB44

Article. 16
Misuse of VHF Radio Communications

and the COLREGS
The fire watch in the compartment below noticed black A reporter alerts CHIRP to the increasing misuse of VHF
smoke and used the extinguisher in the vicinity of the communications for collision avoidance.
smoke but the fire spread rapidly overhead. Consequently
the fire alarm was sounded and the ship was evacuated. A watch keeper maintains a VHF radio watch. He writes:
“I notice that there is an increasing amount of (mis-)
CHIRP Suggests communication between vessels concerning collision
What started out as routine work soon became a major
avoidance… (sometimes) there is a continuous chatter of
fire – the message for all is, plan for the unexpected! The vessels making agreements”. He asks ‘what has happened
use of a fire blanket to cordon off areas where sparks can
to just sticking to the COLREGS’. He notes that there has
ignite adjacent areas is also a prudent precaution to take. been a huge increase in these “collision avoidance
The above article was published in MFB45 arrangements” over the last 10 years.

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