Read Seaways online at www.nautinst.org/seaways August 2023 | Seaways | 17 Providing learning through confidential reports – an international co-operative scheme for improving safety MARS – Lessons Learned MARS Report No 370 August 2023 Visit www.nautinst.org/MARS for online database current is passing through an electric arc and electrical conductors with substantial impedance (electrical resistance), the current may be too low to trip the circuit breaker. So, in all probability, an electric arc had come into contact with the plastic packaging or the wood and eventually ignited the material. Lessons learned l Any situation where potentially ‘live’ circuits or wires are exposed should be corrected with the briefest of delays. l The management of this vessel fire was one of the most extensive operations of its kind in modern times for Sweden. Among other things, the investigation revealed that multiple and overlapping responsible agencies needed to cooperate, but no protocols had been established prior to the emergency. l The management of ships in need of assistance must be robust. Prior planning for all contingencies should be undertaken by a wide swath of concerned agencies including at the local, municipal and federal levels. n Editor’s note Lessons learned often have to be re-learned. In 1998, a vessel declared a cargo fire while unloading MDF in a Canadian port (report M98L0139). Somewhat similar to the above emergency, the fire fighting efforts were extended and there was, at times, confusion and ambiguity amongst the various shore-side responsible authorities. The investigation revealed weaknesses in emergency planning and coordination amongst these groups and even the authority of the Master on the vessel was not well understood by some. The published report can be found here: https://tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/ marine/1998/m98l0139/m98l0139.pdf MARS 202335 Make a point of 3 points of contact  A vessel underway at sea was experiencing some rolling under heavy weather conditions. Crew were undertaking normal housekeeping duties. A crewmember slipped while descending a staircase and, with only his right hand lightly gripping the handrail, his efforts to stabilise his body were ineffectual. His small finger was bent back and sustained injury on the vertical post as he fell. The company investigation found that although he had proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), his method of descending was suboptimal, in that, with only one hand on the right handrail, he was ignoring the good practice of having ‘three points of contact’ at all times. Risks were also more acute due to the rolling of the vessel. MARS 202334 Cargo fire takes 10 days to extinguish As edited from SHK (Sweden) report SHK 2023:01e  A general cargo vessel was fully loaded with cut timber packed into plastic-wrapped packages, both in the cargo hold and on deck. As the vessel was departing its loading berth, the linesman noticed that an electrical extension cord between the vessel and the quay had not been disconnected. The crew on the forecastle informed the bridge team, but the vessel was already moving away from the berth, and it was not possible to prevent the cable from breaking. When the pilot left the vessel, he saw a few metres of the extension cable hanging down by the side of the vessel. The cable was not inspected after the vessel departed. During the voyage there were no observed anomalies. The vessel anchored in a port to bunker via a bunkering bar