How do you assess the fire risk of marine electrical systems?

1 Identify the hazards

The initial step of a fire risk assessment is to recognize the potential sources of ignition, fuel, and oxygen that could cause or spread a fire in your electrical systems. Common hazards include faulty wiring, insulation, terminals, connectors, switches, fuses, and circuit breakers. Overloading, short-circuiting, arcing, sparking, overheating, or corrosion of electrical components or circuits can also be hazardous. Poor ventilation, cooling, or maintenance of electrical equipment or spaces as well as flammable materials near electrical equipment or wiring can be a cause for concern. Human error, negligence, or sabotage should also be taken into consideration. Various methods and tools such as visual inspection, testing, monitoring, documentation, checklists, or incident reports can be used to identify the hazards.

2 Evaluate the risks

The next step is to evaluate the risks associated with each hazard, based on the likelihood and severity of a fire occurring or spreading. You can use a risk matrix or a numerical scale to rate the risks from low to high, taking into account the frequency and duration of exposure to the hazard, the condition and age of electrical equipment or wiring, the design and layout of the electrical system and surrounding spaces, the availability and effectiveness of fire detection, suppression, and protection systems, as well as the potential impact on crew, passengers, cargo, environment, and vessel operations. Additionally, you should identify any existing control measures that reduce the risks such as fire alarms, extinguishers, sprinklers, isolation valves, emergency power supply, fire doors, or fire drills.

3 Implement the controls

The third step is to implement the appropriate controls to eliminate or minimize the risks of fire in your electrical systems. It is important to follow the hierarchy of controls, which prioritizes the most effective and feasible solutions. These controls include elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, and personal protective equipment (PPE). For instance, you can remove or replace hazardous electrical equipment or wiring, use less hazardous electrical equipment or wiring, install or modify electrical equipment or wiring to prevent or reduce fire hazards, establish policies and procedures to ensure safe operation of electrical systems, and provide or require the use of appropriate PPE for working with or near electrical equipment or wiring. Additionally, you should document and communicate the controls to all relevant parties, and monitor and review their effectiveness and compliance.

4 Analyze the scenarios

The fourth step is to analyze the possible scenarios of fire involving your electrical systems, and plan for the response and recovery actions. You can use techniques and tools such as fault tree analysis, event tree analysis, bow-tie analysis, etc. to assess the origin and propagation of the fire, the type and extent of the fire, and potential hazards such as smoke, heat, explosion, electrocution. It's also important to consider the activation and performance of fire detection, suppression, and protection systems; availability and accessibility of firefighting equipment and personnel; evacuation and rescue procedures; emergency communication with shore authorities; damage assessment; and repair of electrical systems. Documenting and communicating these scenarios to relevant parties is essential. Furthermore, regular drills and exercises should be conducted to test and improve them.

5 Follow the standards

The fifth step in ensuring safety on board vessels is to follow the relevant standards and regulations that apply to your electrical systems and vessel type and size. This includes the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), International Maritime Organization (IMO) resolutions and circulars, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards, classification society rules, and flag state regulations. It is essential to comply with these standards and regulations, as well as obtain the necessary approvals and certificates from the competent authorities.

6 Update the assessment

It is essential to update your fire risk assessment of your electrical systems periodically or whenever there are changes that affect the fire risk. These changes may include new or modified electrical equipment or wiring, vessel layout or operation, fire safety systems or procedures, standards or regulations, or information or data on fire hazards or risks. The assessment should be reviewed at least once a year, and more often if required by the standards or regulations. Additionally, any changes or updates to the assessment must be documented and communicated to all relevant parties.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?