Posted: June 15, 2017

U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Alert regarding fuel spray fires


A recent fuel spray fire aboard a 194 GRT offshore supply vessel with an unmanned engine room prompted the U.S. Coast Guard to release a Marine Safety Alert on June 6.

Among the points emphasized by the Coast Guard were:
  • Inspect fuel and lubricating systems closely from source tanks to system end points
  • Regarding hot spots; examine all heat sources particularly with respect to engine exhausts
  • Minimize the use of nonmetallic flexible hoses in systems carrying flammable liquids, particularly around engine areas where failures leading to leakage or spray may find hot spots capable of igniting the fluids
The complete alert is available online.