CHIRP annual digest 2016 6th

CHIRP Annual Digest 2016
to the room below in order to feed pipework through the
penetrations.
Prior to the incident the pipe fitter supervisor had checked
the area and shown the two pipe fitters the work and
location that they had to complete the task. A burner and
firewatcher were called in order to assist with the
penetrations. The firewatcher signed out a ‘damping’
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.
Article. 15
An Unattended Galley Range; Risk of
Fire
A casserole containing oil was left unattended in the oven
or on the range; oil leaked through small holes at the side.
This case is a classic near-miss. Fire did not break out, but
it could easily have done so.
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
The fire watch in the compartment below noticed black
smoke and used the extinguisher in the vicinity of the
smoke but the fire spread rapidly overhead. Consequently
the fire alarm was sounded and the ship was evacuated.
CHIRP Suggests
What started out as routine work soon became a major
fire – the message for all is, plan for the unexpected! The
use of a fire blanket to cordon off areas where sparks can
ignite adjacent areas is also a prudent precaution to take.
The above article was published in MFB45
Article. 16
Misuse of VHF Radio Communications
and the COLREGS
A reporter alerts CHIRP to the increasing misuse of VHF
communications for collision avoidance.
A watch keeper maintains a VHF radio watch. He writes:
“I notice that there is an increasing amount of (mis-)
communication between vessels concerning collision
avoidance… (sometimes) there is a continuous chatter of
vessels making agreements”. He asks ‘what has happened
to just sticking to the COLREGS’. He notes that there has
been a huge increase in these “collision avoidance
arrangements” over the last 10 years.
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