Marine report 2013/04
The express boat Sea Respons LICC caught fire on board while under way from Damsgaard pier in Bergen to Haus, Osterøya on the 15th of March 2012. The vessel was not in ordinary traffic, but due to return with only the master on board, to it's ordinary pier, after having operated a route in Øygarden during the period between 5th to 14th of March 2012. The skipper had to abandon Sea Respons at Breistein,Sørfjorden in the evening of the15th of March, following a rapidly developing fire. The vessel was later written off as a total loss by it's insurance company. AIBN initiated an investigation which also came to include another express boat (the ambulance boat Ambu LMIJ). This one experienced a fire in the instrumentation panel while it was moored unmanned, on the night between 15th to 16th og November 2012.
The final report propose three safety recommendations which focus on the need for further supevision of electrical systems, strengthened firefighting capacity and improved on board means of firedetection.
AIBNs first safety recommendation recommends the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) through supervisory activities, to ensure that the companies conduct risk assessments to secure rapid and proper access to enclosed bridge consoles for maintenance and regular inspection and to enable efficient fire-extinguishing. Supervisor avtivities should first of all target the companies which operates express boats of less than 24 meter.
The second safety recommendation submitted to NMA is based on an impression that express boats under 50 brt is not obliged to carry one set of firefighters personal equipment. The AIBN recommends that the NMA propose requirements or a change of practice so that the appropriate type of firefighter equipment is carried on board express boats of less than 50 gross tonnage.
The third safety reccomendation submitted to the NMA propose requirements for a fire detector and installation of a fire - extinguishing system for manual/automatic activation in bridge consoles, starting with express boats of less than 24 metres.
Facts
| Location | Sørfjorden near Osterøya, Hordaland, Norway |
| Occurrence date | 15.03.2012 |
| Accident category | Misc. accidents |
| Area | Norwegian Territorial Waters |
| Name of vessel | Sea Respons |
| Accident type | Fire/Explosion |
| Vessel type | Passenger Ship - Ferry |
| Register | The Norwegian Ship Register |