QHSE
Better crew training needed for CO2 firefighting systems Survitec recommends that ships’ crews undergo basic systems configuration training and personal protective equipment training by the original equipment manufacturer.
FIRE IS THE MOST COMMON AND MOST DANGEROUS EMERGENCY AT SEA. YET WHILE THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANISATION’S FSS CODE PROVIDES ENGINEERING AND DESIGN standards for all types of fire extinguishing systems, there are no mandatory regulations governing their installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance, only recommendations.
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lthough recommendations and guidelines are in place, and should be followed to obtain certification from classification companies and flag state authorities, there have been several incidents in recent times where fixed fire extinguishing systems have failed. An incident report published in 2015 by the Marine Accident Investigation Report (MAIB) into the 2004 fire aboard a fishing vessel found the lack of training in the use of CO2 firefighting systems to be of significant concern. “The CO2 system did not operate effectively because it was poorly maintained, the crew were unaware of the correct operating and
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