The Coast Guard issued Marine Safety Alert 02-17, to inform those that may lease and occupy portable accommodation modules on board fixed Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) platforms. A recent Coast Guard investigation into a fire onboard one of these platforms revealed the manufacturer of the module (a combination galley and mess deck) had improperly installed a commercial grade electric stove.
As a result, the Coast Guard strongly recommends that owners and operators having similar portable accommodations ensure that all commercial grade stoves and ovens are installed with the proper clearances to prevent ignition of combustible materials.
USCG notes that, per the appliance’s rear data plate, the recommended safe clearance between the appliance and combustible construction material is six inches. The actual clearances to the adjacent walls, which were made of combustible wood and fiber-reinforced plastic, were one inch from the appliance’s side and less than an inch from its rear. Moreover, the wall surfaces were covered with stainless steel sheet metal, which conducted the appliance’s heat and caused the walls to ignite.
Coast Guard underlines that its guidance for the construction of accommodation modules indicates such modules must not compromise the safety of the host vessel and the personnel on board. The USCG Marine Safety Center (MSC) oversees the guidelines for design and construction of portable shelters for floating MODUs including the approval of construction materials.
USCG explains that, for fixed platforms like this one, there is no plan review process for the construction of modules. Manufacturers may design and construct them without regulatory oversight.
The Coast Guard’s investigation identified several casual factors including the failures to do the following:
- Follow the installation directions as indicated on the warning plate and repeated in the Vulcan stove and oven installation manual;
- Recognize potential heat transfer from the stainless steel sheeting to the combustible material of the walls; and
- Validate the correct installation of the stove and oven.
Source & Image credit: USCG
