Competence 14: Prevent, control and fight fires onboard KUP 51: Ability to organize fire drills

KUP 51: Ability to organize fire drills

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Learning objective:
Develop the skills to plan and coordinate effective fire drills, ensuring all crew members understand their roles, use firefighting equipment properly, and follow safety procedures. Evaluate performance during drills and implement improvements to enhance emergency preparedness.

Content

1. Introduction

This learning content focuses on the essential skills and knowledge required to effectively organize and conduct fire drills onboard a vessel. Fire drills are critical in ensuring crew preparedness for potential fire emergencies, promoting safety, and reducing the risk of fire-related incidents. Participants will learn how to plan realistic drills, assign and coordinate crew roles, evaluate performance, and implement improvements to enhance the overall effectiveness of fire response procedures. This training ensures that the crew is fully equipped to respond efficiently in the event of an actual fire emergency.

How Do Fires Onboard Start?

Fires onboard ships can start due to various reasons, including [1]:

Electrical issues: Malfunctioning electrical equipment, overloaded circuits, or damaged wiring can start fires.
Mechanical failures: Engine room machinery, fuel systems, and other mechanical components can overheat or combust due to wear and tear or lack of maintenance.
Cooking accidents: Galley fires are frequent due to the use of open flames, hot surfaces, and flammable cooking oils.
Smoking: Improperly discarded cigarette butts or lit smoking materials in restricted areas can easily ignite combustible materials.
Chemical reactions: Onboard chemicals, fuels, cleaning agents, and cargo may react unexpectedly under certain conditions, leading to fires in the ship.
Human error: Accidental negligence, carelessness, or improper handling of flammable materials can also lead to fires onboard.

How Can Fires on Board Ships Be Prevented?

Fires on board ships can be prevented by implementing the following measures [1]:

Install and maintain smoke detectors, heat sensors, fire alarms, and automatic sprinkler systems throughout the vessel to alert crew members in case of a fire.
Conduct regular fire drills to ensure that all crew members are familiar with evacuation procedures, shipboard firefighting equipment locations, and muster points for assembly during emergencies.
Conduct routine inspections and maintenance of electrical systems, machinery, heating equipment, and other fire-prone areas to help identify potential hazards.
Keep workspaces clean and free from clutter, dust, and debris to reduce the risk of ignition sources.
Provide comprehensive training to crew members on fire prevention techniques, proper handling of hazardous materials, and emergency response protocols to help reduce the likelihood of fires onboard.
Implement strict smoking policies in designated smoking areas only and enforce proper disposal of cigarette butts to prevent accidental fires.

Step-by-step drill

Crew members need guidance and senior officers (Chief officer/Chief Engineer) should provide detailed guidance for each step of drill. This will provide the necessary confidence to crew members on how to react during real situations.
Each drill should simulate reality as much as possible. Turning off lighting or use training smoke creates a close to reality environment.
Injured personnel evacuation with stretcher’s use should be part of the drill in order to provide training on different technics (vertical transfer, accommodation stairway use, etc.).
An effective briefing (toolbox meeting) should be the starting point of the drill. An effective debriefing and a written evaluation should be final stage of each drill [2].

Recommendation

References