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Fire screen door issues top USCG list of cruise deficiencies

Fire screen door issues top USCG list of cruise deficiencies
Fire screen doors not operating properly topped the US Coast Guard's list of cruise ship deficiencies in 2014. Other issues ranged from crew training, such as problems operating lifeboats, to emergency lighting inadequacies.

USCG found a total of 329 deficiencies. The 10 most common ones are outlined in the latest Cruise Ship National Center of Expertise newsletter.

The most frequent deficiency (31 occurrences) involved fire screen doors not operating properly due to damage to the sequencing bars or to the doors themselves, or pressure differential between spaces on either side of the door, causing them not to close properly. Most of these deficiencies were corrected prior to the examiners finishing their exams, USCG said.

Impeding means of escape was the second most frequent deficiency (26 occurrences). Corridors, doors and hatches in areas designated as escape routes were either partially or completely blocked. Most of these deficiencies were immediately corrected.

Drills and crew training issues (25 occurrences) involved inability to operate fire suppression systems, problems with operating lifeboats and rescue boats and inability to communicate effectively during fire and abandon ship drills. USCG also found deficiencies for lack of required STCW training for crowd control management and crisis management. Most deficiencies were corrected prior to the exams' completion.

In 21 instances, lifeboats and rescue boats and their associated launching systems were found to be deficient. Issues included davits not working properly, lifeboats not operating properly and missing equipment. Most of these deficiencies were immediately corrected.

Deficiencies were issued for 17 cases of improper utilization of categorized spaces. Sometimes crew stored combustible materials in spaces lacking adequate fire protection and suppression systems. All these deficiencies were corrected prior to the ship's departure.

Problems with fire detection/smoke detection systems were cited 13 times, while various deficiencies were found in fire suppression systems 12 times. These ranged from smoke detectors not working during testing due to an electrical or physical defect, to fire pumps not starting automatically and issues with section valves and CO2 systems. Some deficiencies were corrected prior to ship's departure while others were corrected given additional time, and in the case of the dozen fire suppression systems deficiencies, most were immediately corrected.

Nine instances of issues with pollution prevention equipment included leaks in piping at bunkering stations, problems with the marine sanitation device and its associated piping/pumps and problems with the oily water separator and its associated piping. Ships were given time to correct some issues as several were unable to be completed prior to the end of the exam.

Emergency lighting issues and fuel and oil leaks (seven occurrences each) ranged from photo luminescent tape having lost its reflective properties to excessive oil leaks around the main engines and leaks in the oil purifier room and shaft seal leaks.

In the case of the emergency lighting issues, most deficiencies were corrected before returning to the US after sailing to foreign ports. When it came to the fuel and oil leaks, some deficiencies were fixed prior to ship's departure while others were corrected by giving the crew additional time.