Question 1

The engine room has been evacuated. Smoke is now visible from the ER ventilation outlets. The temperature sensor in the bilge zone is climbing. The chief officer is at the CO₂ room, ready to operate. The Master is about to give the order to discharge.

What is the single most critical check before the CO₂ discharge order is given?

Accepted Answer

A confirmed headcount showing ALL engine room personnel are out of the space — by name, not by assumption. CO₂ discharge into an occupied space is fatal. This check must be completed and confirmed to the Master before the discharge order is given, regardless of fire urgency All of the other checks are necessary — but none of them are fatal if they are imperfect. A missed person in the CO₂ space is invariably fatal. The headcount must be by name against the muster list, confirmed verbally to the Master. History is clear: in multiple ER CO₂ incidents the missing person was assumed to have mustered with a different group. The CO₂ discharge checklist exists precisely because fire urgency creates pressure to skip the one step that cannot be recovered from. Ventilation, fuel valves, engine stop — all important, all recoverable. Personnel accountability: non-negotiable.

Question 2

MV SOLWAY STAR, 1435. The engine room fixed fire detection alarm activates on the bridge panel — zone indicated is bilge area, below the main engine. The ER is manned — the chief engineer and two ratings are on watch below.

What is the OOW's FIRST action?

Accepted Answer

Sound the general alarm immediately. Inform the Master. Do NOT ring the engine room to ask them to investigate — they are in the fire zone. The general alarm brings the emergency team to their stations and ensures the CO₂ room and fire parties are ready before any further assessment Ringing the engine room is the most common and most dangerous instinct when a fire alarm sounds — it asks people in the fire zone to investigate and reassure you. The correct response is immediate general alarm: it activates the emergency team, gets the CO₂ room manned with the correct personnel, and starts the accountability process. A false alarm muster costs 15 minutes. A delayed alarm in a real bilge fire on a naphtha carrier costs lives. The decision to discharge CO₂ will be made by the Master with full accountability — not by an OOW who has run to the CO₂ room alone.

Question 3

Thirty seconds after the general alarm, the chief engineer radios the bridge: "I can see smoke near the bilge pump. I'm going to check if it's a small oil fire — I'll call you back in two minutes." The fire party is mustering on deck.

What is the Master's response?

Accepted Answer

Order the chief engineer and ALL engine room personnel to evacuate immediately and close the ER fire dampers and watertight doors. Do not allow investigation without full BA team and hose in place. Smoke in an ER bilge area of a naphtha carrier is a serious fire risk — vapour ignition can occur in seconds The bilge area of a chemical tanker carrying naphtha (flash point −40°C) means flammable vapour is present at ambient temperature. A small visible fire can flash over in seconds if the fuel supply (oil in bilge) is not interrupted. Allowing a solo investigation without BA, without a charged hose, and without the fire team in position violates every principle of fire fighting practice. The chief engineer's instinct to deal with it quickly is understandable — and potentially fatal. Close the space, get personnel out, assess from outside.