Hull & Machinery claims reveal 60% of all shipboard fires start in the engineroom; Gard executives outline key recommendations to reduce the risk of such fires
Based on Hull & Machinery (H&M) claims made to Gard for a five-year period, nearly two-thirds of these engineroom fires occurred on the main and auxiliary engines or their associated components, such as turbochargers. The majority of these incidents were caused by afailure in a flammable oil system, most often in the low-pressure fuel oil piping, allowing a spray of oil onto an unprotected hot surface.
“Gard data shows that older vessels are more prone to fires originating in the engineroom”
These are some of the key findings in an article jointly authored by Gard’s senior loss prevention executive (Singapore) Siddharth Mahajan, senior claims adviser (Bergen) Svend Leo Larsen and senior business analyst (Oslo) Kim Wattle.
The article, Look out for fuel leaks and unshielded hot spots in engine rooms, explores the causes of such fires, how they can be prevented and shares recommendations on mitigating the risk of such fires.
This article summarises key findings from the article. You can read the article in its entirety at gard.no.
Common causes of fuel spray
Gard found the most common causes of fuel spraying from low-pressure piping systems were: piping connections and other components not being original or the type recommended by manufacturer; modifications made either under the existing ship management or by previous management without the crew’s knowledge; piping connections not being tightened to the required torque and loosening over time or being incorrectly assembly after maintenance; bolts for flanges or filters breaking; pipes suffering fatigue fractures; fuel oil filter covers coming loose; and rubberised hoses rupturing due to degradation caused by the heat generated from nearby machinery.
“Passenger and container ships have the highest frequency of fires on main and auxiliary engines”
Shielding can provide protection, either by insulating hot spots with thermal insulation or anti-splashing tapes, or by using physical barriers such as spray shields. Based on its claims portfolio, Gard cautions insulation quality may differ from yard to yard, deteriorate with age, or not be properly reinstalled after maintenance.
