The Coast Guard issued a safety alert as a reminder to vessel owners, operators and fire safety equipment servicing companies to use caution when replacing components on hand portable fire extinguishers.

Coast Guard investigators from Sector Hampton Roads learned of the failure of a hand portable 15 pound Carbon Dioxide extinguisher.  During a fire-fighting event, a crewmember attempted to use the extinguisher but it failed to properly discharge and only seeped from the neck of the extinguisher.

This safety alert is provided for informational purpose only and does not relieve any domestic or international safety, operational or material requirement. Developed by Sector Hampton Roads Investigations and the Office of Investigations and Analysis, Washington, DC. For questions or concerns please send the Coast Guard an email.

This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official source documents, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These documents remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.