What happened? A severe engine failure occurred during a major vessel overhaul. The connection rod on cylinder #12 parted from the connecting rod cap and punched a hole in the […]
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Safety Flashes
IMCA safety flashes disseminate important information on incidents and potential hazards and the lessons learnt from them that can help prevent incidents occurring elsewhere in the industry.
Individual safety events are available individually online, tagged and searchable, while the traditional PDF collections are also available for download.
Submit a Report
All members are encouraged to contribute relevant safety-related information – please visit our Safety Flash Reporting page for details on the submission process.
IMCA Contact
Nicholas Hough
Consultant - Safety and Security
Contact
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Unexpected Release of Water During Annual Maintenance of CO2 Fixed Firefighting System
What happened An incident took place during annual maintenance of CO2 fixed firefighting equipment on a vessel, in the emergency generator switchboard room. There was an unplanned and unexpected release […]
A summary of safety flash incidents not otherwise published in 2017
IMCA is grateful for all submissions of safety incidents for inclusion in Safety Flashes. During 2017, a number of incidents received by IMCA from members were not been published as […]
Fires on materials made of fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP)
What happened? A member reports that serious fires have broken out on vessels with fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) materials. They appear to have been caused by overheating of the FRP from […]
Finger injury: What happens when you DON’T use the right tool for the right job
What happened A crewman attempted to remove the impeller from a fire pump using a hammer and punching rod. While he was hammering, a steel splinter of the punching rod […]
Lost time injury (LTI): Finger injury during main engine exhaust valve overhaul
What happened An engineer suffered a crushed finger when there was an unplanned movement of a main engine exhaust valve during maintenance. The second engineer and a fitter were working […]
US Coast Guard Safety Alert 07/17 – CO₂ hazards
During two recent vessel inspections Coast Guard marine inspectors participated in and witnessed occasions where the testing and maintenance of a COâ‚‚ system resulted in serious safety threats that could […]
Flooding in steering gear compartment
What happened? A vessel lost control of its steering gear due to leakage through the Karm fork seals, leading to uncontrolled flooding in the steering compartment. The engine room received […]
Uncontrolled movement of crane block and pennant during lifting operations at sea
What happened? During bunkering operations between two vessels at sea, there was an uncontrolled movement of a crane block, resulting in a pennant striking a supply vessel, placing personnel in […]
Two cases of hand injuries – UK HSE
Incident 1: Worker Injures Hand on Lathe What happened THE UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE) reports that an engineering firm was sentenced after a worker suffered injuries to his […]
Fuel spray fire – Déjà vu: Prepare and prevent it from happening to you!
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has published Marine Safety Alert 06-17 to bring attention to ‘yet another fuel spray fire’. The USCG notes that “these types of incidents, involving […]
LTI: Finger injury during pilot ladder preparation
What happened? An Ordinary Seaman was injured while rigging the pilot ladder during arrival in port. In preparation before rigging the ladder, a floodlight was being lowered by the crewman. […]
Catastrophic fire and explosion on nearby vessel
What happened? A vessel was double-banked alongside engaged with routine maintenance jobs, when a fire broke out on a vessel transporting a petroleum product which was berthed alongside at a […]
Near-miss: Fire hazard from leaking fuel supply line
What happened? A potential fire hazard was discovered, caused by a failed fuel pipe connection on the supply line to the main engines. The Chief Engineer was called to engine […]
Dangerous modifications found within a gas valve unit room
Don’t allow corrective actions to create additional hazardous conditions! The USCG has issued Safety Alert 05-17 to warn of a potentially dangerous situation involving modifications within gas valve unit (GVU) […]
Near miss: Emergency fire pump could not be started from the bridge
A member has reported a near miss incident in which it was discovered that an emergency fire pump could not be started from the bridge. The discovery was made during […]
Near miss: Fire hazard from engine room equipment failure
A member has reported a near miss incident relating to a fire hazard in a separator room. During routine planned maintenance and testing of a main engine lube oil purifier […]
Near miss: Fire hazard arising from failed fuel pipe connection
A member has reported a near miss incident involving a failed fuel pipe connection. The incident occurred while the vessel was full ahead in transit. Smoke was observed near the […]
Safety flashes: Summary of 2016
This is a brief summary of the incidents reported during 2016, highlighting some of the trends and points worthy of note. During 2016, IMCA published 148 incidents in 35 safety […]
Fire in engine room
The Marine Safety Forum (MSF) has published the following safety alert regarding an incident in which there was a fire in an engine room. The incident occurred whilst returning to […]
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