Question 1

CO₂ has been discharged. The ER has been sealed for 20 minutes. The chief engineer says "The fire is probably out — let me go in to check and start getting the emergency generator sorted." The vessel is now drifting without propulsion. Wind is pushing the vessel toward shallow water (18nm, approximately 4 hours at current drift rate).

Can the chief engineer re-enter?

Accepted Answer

No. Minimum hold time after CO₂ discharge is typically at least 30 minutes for smouldering fires — and an ER bilge fire involving oil can re-ignite if the fuel source has not been physically isolated. Re-entry requires BA, a charged hose in position, a boundary cooling check, and a charged fire party standing by outside. 20 minutes is insufficient The drifting vessel creates exactly the kind of pressure that causes premature CO₂ re-entry — and that is when people die. An oil fire in bilge residues can maintain a smouldering core that re-ignites the moment oxygen re-enters. The 20-minute mark is also when CO₂ concentration in a sealed space remains lethal. The SOLAS-aligned industry guidance is minimum 30 minutes hold, BA team in position, hose charged, boundary temperatures checked, before any re-entry. The drift problem must be managed by other means: anchor assessment, tug request, MAYDAY broadcast — not by risking a second ER casualty.

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.