Employee #1, a battalion chief for a fire department, was at a reported boat fire at a municipal marina. According to Employee #1, there appeared to be no fire when he arrived at the boat, although the boat owner was standing there with a hose in his hand.
As Employee #1 spoke to the boat owner, who was standing about 4½ feet from the boat, an explosion occurred inside the boat, separating its deck from the hull. Employee #1 received flash burns to his left hand and face. He was not wearing gloves, turnout coat or visor.
What went wrong?
It cannot be stated too often that safety equipment should be worn whenever exposure to hazards has the chance of becoming an accident. In this case, a trained firefighter who was informed of the possibility of a hazard approached the location without wearing protective gear.
It was a mistake he won’t likely make again
Reprinted from Marine Construction Magazine, Issue II, 2023
