Compliance didn't make for safety on Oscar Wilde
Check your nozzles now: Blow-through tests of the high expansion foam system aboard the ro-ro cruise ferry Oscar Wilde may have resulted in blockage by rust and scale of the foam generator nozzles and failure of the system during a fire onboard. Britain’s Marine Accident Investigation branch has appealed to shipowners, operators or manufacturers of such system to tell them in confidence of they find nozzle blockage or corrosion in their fire fighting systems.
Says MAIB: “The system was type-approved and had been maintained and tested in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and current IMO guidance… Compliance with IMO guidance on the installation and testing of this system did not prevent its failure.” Continue reading »