Tuesday 26
May, 2009
11.00hrs
Boat owners and
house boat residents are being encouraged to make fire safety a
priority this Boat Safety Week (25 to 31 May).
Boat fires are thankfully rare, but each year people are injured
and in some cases killed, as a result of onboard fires, explosions
and carbon monoxide poisoning.
While much of
our fire safety advice to boat owners is the same for householders,
there are a few specific points you need to bear in mind. Knowing
what to do in the event of an emergency could save your life – here
are a few tips to help you reduce your risk of injury:
• Know your
boat – plan your escape route
Make sure
everyone on the boat knows how they can get out should fire break
out in any room onboard and, if possible, identify a second route
as a back up. If the way out involves windows or roof hatches, make
sure they are big enough and can be easily opened. Keep a small
hammer nearby to break glass in the event of windows becoming
jammed.
• Know how to
safely isolate electrical, fuel and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
installations
• Store
flammable liquids away from ignition sources
Many boat fires
have been attributed to the ignition of flammable vapours within
the living areas or bilge areas of the boat. Refuelling appliances
in accommodation spaces can allow fuel vapours to accumulate – this
can have disastrous consequences when the vapours come into contact
with an ignition source.
• Site fire
extinguishers in key places
Keep
extinguishers in easy to reach positions close to escape routes and
the fire risk points, such as the engine space and the
galley.