Get wise and get alarmed this RYA Boat Fire Safety Week
by Loretta Spridgeon, RYA 27 May 2018 17:26 BST
28 May - 3 June 2018
During the national 2018 Boat Fire Safety Week, the RYA and firefighters across the country will be urging boaters to fit and test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
From 28 May to 3 June, fire crews will be visiting boat owners and handing out Fire Safety on Boats and Carbon Monoxide Safety on Boats leaflets to help crew members know the risks and how to protect themselves.
The heart of the message is that all crew members should understand the risks and follow the published advice from the Boat Safety Scheme.
Despite all efforts, should fire break out or a carbon monoxide escape occur, the critical survival factor will be the presence of suitable working smoke and CO alarms. The RYA offers a considerable amount of advice on fire prevention and fire-fighting equipment on its Safe Boating hub at rya.org.uk/go/safety.
The Boat Safety Scheme also publishes lists of suitable alarms on its website and has advice from the manufacturers on the best places to fix the devices. Alarms should be tested using the test button routinely and the batteries replaced as necessary and never removed.
RYA Cruising Manager Stuart Carruthers said: "Fire on board can take hold quickly and when it does, it can wreak havoc on a vessel in minutes. An alarm can give you those precious few minutes of warning to help you and your crew to get out safely.
"Early detection of fire is vital, so it's important to install alarms and to test them regularly to make sure they work. If you are unlucky enough to have a fire on board then early action is essential and an alarm will help you do that.
"Do not worry about setting off a fire extinguisher for what might seem to be a trivial fire – fire will make more of a mess of your boat than any dry powder extinguisher. And remember, once the fire is out then keep monitoring the affected area to ensure that it does not flare up again."
Boat Safety Scheme manager, Graham Watts added: "In the past 20 years, 30 boaters were killed in boat fires and another 30 lost their lives to the highly toxic CO gas.
"It's time everyone in the boating community said 'no more avoidable tragedies'. Being protected by suitable smoke and carbon monoxide alarms should be viewed as a normal part of boat ownership."
For more information about events taking place in your area, please contact your local Fire and Rescue Service.