Fire poses a threat to all vessel types, regardless of their size or operation and has the potential to result in severe injuries or the unfortunate loss of life and significant damage to or loss of a vessel.
Between 2016 and 2022, the quantum for claims, notified to the Club, caused by fires on board Member’s vessels was over US$ 4 million. On analysing these incidents, it was observed that most occurred in the engine room or when performing hot work operations and were attributed to a lack of effective procedures and poor housekeeping.
The increased use and carriage of lithium batteries on board vessels also presents new challenges for Members with the likelihood of battery source fires starting to increase in frequency.
The Club encourages Members to perform thorough risk assessments in order to understand the potential fire risks that may be present on board, allowing for suitable preventative control measures to be put in place. The Club has also produced several fire prevention initiatives that may assist Members and their crew.
Fire prevention on board ships
Podcast on Yacht electrical fires
Yacht fire safety awareness while docked in a marina
Case Studies
Case Study: Fatal accident caused by welding above the flammable cargo inside a cargo hold
Case Study: Fire hazard from leaking fuel supply
Case Study: Fire on board and sinking of a restricted-limits passenger vessel
External Resources
MGN 653 (M) Electric vehicles onboard passenger roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) ferries