DIEPPE SEAWAYS

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Ferry Fire Investigation Reveals a Series of Failings

The U.K. Maritime Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its report into the fire on the DFDS ferry Dieppe Seaways, highlighting problems with the actions taken by the crew and issuing a warning about the use of dry powder in fire extinguishing. On May 1, 2014, the Dieppe Seaways was approaching the Eastern Ferry Terminal at the Port of Dover when an uncontrolled fire broke out in the furnace of the port thermal oil heater. The incident resulted in serious injuries to one firefighter and two crew members. The vessel was met by a team from Kent Fire and Rescue Service on arrival at the berth. Liaison between the team and ship’s staff, and the subsequent control of fire-fighting, were incomplete and not fully coordinated, states the investigation report. An initial entry into the port boiler room was attempted, which resulted in a backdraught with an accompanying fireball that caused a number of casualties and necessitated the shutdown of the compartment. A strategy of containment, cooling and boundary monitoring was then initiated until it was deemed safe to re-enter the compartment some hours later. The investigation identified that a crack in the thermal oil heater coil allowed thermal oil to enter the furnace, resulting in an uncontrolled furnace fire. It is concluded that the coil failed as a result of stress caused by the weld securing the refractory insulation support plate. http://maritime-executive.com/article/ferry-fire-investigation-reveals-a-series-of-failings