The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a safety alert regarding the issue of defective heat detectors that were discovered during an engine room fire investigation.
The Coast Guard recently investigated an engine room fire on board an inspected towing vessel which led to the discovery of issues with the maintenance and installation of fire detection systems on board multiple towing vessels. During the investigation, several towing vessels were discovered to have defective heat detectors installed in their engine rooms.
These detectors had been recalled by the manufacturer in 2019 for failure to activate within their listed temperature range. Though the defective heat detectors identified on board these vessels were Edwards branded 280 series 135° F heat detectors, the Coast Guard wants to advise the entire marine industry that the safety recall also includes heat detectors sold under several different brandings.
Below is the full list of mechanical heat detectors affected by this manufacturer safety recall: heat detectors.
The below photos show the affected Edwards branded 280 series heat detectors which were installed in the engine rooms of the affected towing vessels. These detectors can easily be identified by the collector disk mounted on the face of the detector and the 135° F temperature rating printed in large font on the side edge of the detector.
The Coast Guard strongly recommends that vessel owners, inspectors, fire alarm servicing personnel, and third-party surveyors:
– Identify any vessels with heat detectors affected by this safety recall and notify the cognizant Coast Guard Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection and Third-Party Organization (if applicable) so that a plan can be developed for their replacement. Companies should also lookout for any recalled detectors that may be kept in stock as replacement parts to ensure they are properly discarded.
– Companies should register their fire alarm system components with the component manufacturers, and sign-up to be on the manufacturer’s electronic notification or mailing list. This will help to ensure that companies are notified by fire alarm system component manufacturers whenever a device is discovered to be defective or has a safety recall issued.
– Be aware that manufacturers often produce several detector models which look identical to one another. Often the only way to discern what detector is installed and what testing/maintenance is required, is to verify the make and model number that is printed or labelled on the detector against manufacturer documentation.
Download the safety alert: Safety Report of defective heat detectors
