USCG: Surge protective devices onboard vessels
- Safety Flash
- Published on 25 June 2013
- Generated on 29 October 2025
- IMCA SF 10/13
- 1 minute read
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) published in April this year a Marine Safety Alert on surge protective devices.
Subsequently, an updated and corrected version of this information was made available as Marine Safety Alert 03-13b. The alert covers the risk of fire arising from the misuse of certain voltage surge protective devices used in mains electric circuitry onboard vessels.
A marine casualty investigation of two separate stateroom fires onboard a US flagged container ship revealed that the sources of the fires were attributed to the use of surge protective devices plugged into a lighting circuit.
See the details here.
IMCA Safety Flashes summarise key safety matters and incidents, allowing lessons to be more easily learnt for the benefit of the entire offshore industry.
The effectiveness of the IMCA Safety Flash system depends on the industry sharing information and so avoiding repeat incidents. Incidents are classified according to IOGP's Life Saving Rules.
All information is anonymised or sanitised, as appropriate, and warnings for graphic content included where possible.
IMCA makes every effort to ensure both the accuracy and reliability of the information shared, but is not be liable for any guidance and/or recommendation and/or statement herein contained.
The information contained in this document does not fulfil or replace any individual's or Member's legal, regulatory or other duties or obligations in respect of their operations. Individuals and Members remain solely responsible for the safe, lawful and proper conduct of their operations.
Share your safety incidents with IMCA online. Sign-up to receive Safety Flashes straight to your email.