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 platform’s crew was awakened by the sound of smoke alarms from a galley fire. They acted quickly to isolate and fight the fire and were assisted by a Good Samaritan vessel. The crew’s rapid response limited the damage, which could have been much worse.

This Safety Alert is provided for informational purposes only and does not relieve any domestic or international safety, operational or material requirement. Developed by the Sector New Orleans Prevention Department and distributed by the Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis, Washington DC. Questions may be sent to HQS-PF-fldr-CG-INV@uscg.mil.

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.

View the full Safety Alert here.

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.