FIRE & SAFETY
Harnessing Best Harnessing Best
Practices to Deliver a Practices to Deliver a
Successful Casualty Successful Casualty
Investigation Investigation
The The fifi nal success of any nal success of any fifi re or explosion investigation re or explosion investigation
is dependent on the management of the incident. is dependent on the management of the incident.
By David MyersBy David MyersF
ire and explosion incidents on board vessels have al-
ways presented challenging situations for the marine
industry. However, with the industry as whole facing
ever-increasing fi nancial pressures, many of those who suffer
from a fi re or explosion are seeking out cost saving measures
during investigations. As a result, local surveyors or inexpe-
rienced investigators are sometimes appointed in place of a
more qualifi ed and experienced expert. Often, these local
surveyors will lack the detailed knowledge and/or resources
necessary to conduct the investigation to a suitably high stan-
dard. This means that short-term savings often deliver poor
value for money in the long term and offer a false economy.
If an investigation is not carried out with best practice,
all interested parties risk serious fi nancial and legal disad-
vantage. Among those at risk are vessel owners and opera-
tors, managers, charterers, sub charterers as well as those
whose cargo was being transported. Along the way, insur-
ers for all the above parties – P&I, H&M or cargo under-
writers – are also stakeholders at risk.A Best Practice Approach
While some incidents are small and manageable, other
fi res and explosions occur extremely rapidly during the
same chaotic event. On these occasions, fi res can cause ex-
plosions and explosions can cause fi res. When an incident
occurs on a vessel at sea or in a port, the primary concern44 MN February 2017