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Diggsy89  
#1 Posted : 03 October 2019 08:47:02(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
Diggsy89

Morning everyone! Hope someone more experienced than myself can assist on this. The company I work for is in the training field for the shipping industry. I’ve recently started new employment and just getting to grips with risk assessments etc, I have found a risk assessment for a fire on a boat, is this the correct procedure? Previous risk assessments I have seen/created have all been for generic/routine operations and would be to stop/reduce the risk of a fire or other incident. If we have created a risk assessment for a fire have we not already failed in our control measures? is this not implying that a fire is a common occurrence in which case that boat should not be used? The risk assessment for the fire is more like an emergency procedure in the text. I just feel that having a risk assessment wouldn’t really hold up for this as the boat has been identified as a higher risk of catching fire, the boat has actually experienced a fire at sea with candidates onboard. my personal preference would be to take it out of service but management are unlikely to action this request. Thanks
A Kurdziel  
#2 Posted : 03 October 2019 09:08:35(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
A Kurdziel

These regulations apply to vessels - The Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection: Small Ships) Regulations 1998. They should be a start. Look at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) site for more information.

RayRapp  
#3 Posted : 03 October 2019 20:34:11(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
RayRapp

It does seem a bit bizarre having a RA for a fire, more suited to an emergency procedure I would have thought. The controls could be itemised I guess...but how do you mitigate against an uncontrolled event? I suspect someone has got their aft confused with their starboard - Lol.

stevedm  
#4 Posted : 04 October 2019 06:54:09(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
stevedm

I only have experience from looking at FPSO supporting vessels a wee while ago...

My view is this, one of the vessels major hazards is a fire on board and if the Captain has used the risk assessment process to ensure he has all the controls in place I am ok with that...so long as all the other requirements are met...

It really does depend on the detail and boundary of the risk assessment that you mention.- From memory the MSN 1668 from the MCA will give the minimum requirements or fire protection...I will post the link when I get time to have a google 

Hsquared14  
#5 Posted : 04 October 2019 14:04:28(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Hsquared14

Do you mean a risk assessment for a fire or a "Fire Risk Assessment" these would I think be two different things. 

Diggsy89  
#6 Posted : 07 October 2019 15:23:43(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
Diggsy89

Thanks for all the replies! Sorry for not posting sooner. Did review the regs but couldn’t get a specific answer to this but thanks :-) Totally agree that a major risk on any vessel would be a fire and measures should be put in place to prevent this. But this risk assessment is intended for when the boat is on fire and has things like call coastguard etc to me this should be an emergency procedure because the risk assessment would be to prevent the fire not while it’s occurring? The boat in question has already been recognised to be at greater risk of fire, the senior instructor/manager know this and it has caught on fire 3 times I believe once with candidates on. I’m not even sure we should be using it but commercial reasons have won out, the fire extinguisher being out of its annual service is a story for another day.....
CptBeaky  
#7 Posted : 08 October 2019 08:04:09(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
CptBeaky

It does sound to me that this is more of an Emergency Action Plan rather than a risk assessment.

Not sure how that moves you forward though. It sounds like you risk assessment control measures are failing if the boat has a history of setting alight. You would need to review that risk assessment, not the action plan. Isn't it better for it not to be on fire than for people to evacuate safely when it is on fire?

thanks 2 users thanked CptBeaky for this useful post.
A Kurdziel on 08/10/2019(UTC), ttxela on 11/10/2019(UTC)
A Kurdziel  
#8 Posted : 08 October 2019 08:28:40(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
A Kurdziel

Why does the boat keep setting alight? Surely you need to deal with that first before thinking about emergency planning?

 

Diggsy89  
#9 Posted : 10 October 2019 17:07:12(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
Diggsy89

Not sure on why it catches fire if I’m honest. I’ve only been at this place for a short period of time and it seems to just be an accepted problem. Thanks for the replies, I just wanted to see if it was correct or if maybe I was just trying to cause issues. I brought up my concern to my manager anyway, I don’t foresee anything changing in the near future but hopefully something will be done.
ttxela  
#10 Posted : 11 October 2019 08:21:06(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
ttxela

You have a boat that is prone to catching fire for reasons unknown that appear unresolvable onto which you are regularly placing 'candidates'? 

To tackle this problem someone is producing a document......

Certainly puts some of my concerns in a new perspective! I can't really think of a clearer case for actually putting a stop to an activity until some sort of practical solution is found! 

thanks 2 users thanked ttxela for this useful post.
A Kurdziel on 11/10/2019(UTC), SJP on 11/10/2019(UTC)
Dave5705  
#11 Posted : 11 October 2019 15:27:01(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Dave5705

Originally Posted by: Diggsy89 Go to Quoted Post
Not sure on why it catches fire if I’m honest. I’ve only been at this place for a short period of time and it seems to just be an accepted problem. Thanks for the replies, I just wanted to see if it was correct or if maybe I was just trying to cause issues. I brought up my concern to my manager anyway, I don’t foresee anything changing in the near future but hopefully something will be done.

Buy some marshmallows?

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