The Republic of the Marshall Islands Martime Administrator published a Safety Bulletin issued by UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA), regarding Hwayan Emergency Escape Breathing Devices (EEBD), that have been found not to fulfill the required rate for delivery of breathing air to the user. The RMI recommends that operators check EEBDs onboard, and if they are found to fall between the affected lot numbers, to contact the manufacturer and undertake an air pressure test.
According to MCA, after various tests, the results highlight that units within the affected lots have an inherent blockage which is likely to be attributed to manufacturing discrepancies.
The blockage is observed in the pressure reducer connector which attaches to the air bottle as seen in the image below. Testing results further show that the affected units do not fulfil the required delivery rate of air, even once the blockage has been cleared with a fine pin or needle head.
If a ship operator discovers that they have one or more of the affected units they should take immediate action as detailed below to ensure the safety of life during an emergency when required to use an EEBD.
The MCA reminds that ship operators should check the EEBDs they have on board. If an affected unit(s) are held, the operator should immediately contact the manufacturer for a replacement unit at no further cost. The lot number of the EEBD can be found on the side of the orange cover which houses the air bottle. Owners are reminded that EEBDs should be serviced in accordance with the manufacturer’s requirements. This will include an airflow test for this type of EEBD.
