USCG has issued a Security Alert to lift consciousness of potential hazards with insufficiently inspected compressed air cylinders utilized in lifeboat self-contained air help programs for fireplace protected lifeboats.
Incident
Throughout a routine inspection of an OCS unit that was unmanned and awaiting decommissioning, firm personnel found a big gap in one of many facility’s lifeboats. Additional examination revealed {that a} cylinder from the self-contained air help system had ruptured, inflicting the injury. The rupture despatched fragments into the overhead flotation chamber of the lifeboat, and one of many three cylinders was misplaced to the ocean, with its situation unknown. The third cylinder remained in its stowage location however confirmed indicators of extreme corrosion.
Many lifeboats with these programs retailer air cylinders horizontally in or simply above the bilge space beneath the centerline seats. Though lifeboat canopies are required to be watertight, water ingress/accummulation within the bilges and cylinder storage compartments could be a frequent incidence. The lifeboat concerned on this incident was designed with a separate compartment to isolate the cylinders from the bilge, however this compartment was additionally not watertight and had collected a number of inches of water. Accessing the compressed air cylinders on this lifeboat required the removing of the middle divider and seats.
An inspection of the intact cylinder and the ruptured cylinder fragment confirmed vital corrosion. Whereas the precise explanation for the corrosion is unknown, it’s suspected that the cylinders had been partially submerged in water and subjected to accelerated corrosion because of the presence of dissimilar metals. Though stray electrical currents had been thought-about as a possible trigger, they had been deemed unlikely given the lifeboat’s electrical configuration and the OCS unit’s secured energy.
Suggestions
The Coast Guard recommends that house owners, producers, operators, and repair suppliers:
Confirm the bodily situation of the whole cylinders throughout annual lifeboat inspections.
Guarantee air cylinder stowage compartments are maintained in a dry situation
Make sure that the air cylinders are inspected and maintained in accordance with 46 CFR 147.60, relevant to USCG permitted lifeboats by way of 46 CFR 160.135-7(b)(25). These cites invoke 49 CFR 180 that addresses corrosion and abraded areas, amongst different indicators of defect or injury.
Implement coaching for all personnel chargeable for lifeboat upkeep or operation to offer consciousness of the need for correct upkeep and inspection of lifeboat compressed air cylinders for all sorts of cylinder building.
Take into account permitted design adjustments that present for routine entry to all parts of the cylinders for correct inspection and upkeep.
The Coast Guard additionally recommends that applicable security measures are carried out for any lifeboats that aren’t in lively service (e.g. spare boats or boats faraway from service for upkeep) or are a part of an inspected vessel or unit that’s now not in lively service. Security measures might embody, however usually are not restricted to, bleeding strain from the cylinders, removing of the cylinders from the lifeboat, or persevering with common inspection of the cylinders.
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Supply: USCG
