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Serious shortcomings with liferaft hydrostatic release units
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News was prepared under the information support of Online Daily Newspaper on Hellenic and international Shipping "Hellenic Shipping News". |
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31 May 2010
In our ambition to save lives and maintain a high level of safety at sea world-wide we find it important to forward this Safety alert published by the Swedish Transport Agency on the 25 of May 2010.
The Swedish Transport Agency’s Maritime Department has identified
shortcomings in a certain make of hydrostatic release unit. Purchasers
of hydrostatic release units are recommended to check if the units they
have on board are made by Fenner and, if so, to replace them.
The Swedish Transport Agency’s Maritime Department recently discovered
that Fenner Hydrostatic Release Units for Liferafts (HRU) do not meet
the quality requirements specified by the International Maritime
Organization, the IMO.
The Swedish Transport Agency’s inspectors purchased and tested the
function of 10 brand-new units and the results revealed that 9 of the 10
failed to function as per the specified requirements.
Only 1 of the 10 release units deployed at less than 4 metres water
depth, which is the requirement.
Only 2 of the 10 units (of which one at more than 4 metres depth)
completely cut the line.
Lloyds Register, which issued type approval for these products, has been
informed about the shortcomings and is preparing to withdraw the
product’s type approval certification.
The Swedish Transport Agency hereby wishes to notify the shipping
industry and operators whose vessels are equipped with hydrostatic
release units to check if the Fenner HRU is fitted on board and if so,
to immediately replace them with other type-approved (Conformity Mark)
makes.
Facts about the hydrostatic release units
Product description: “Fenner HRU” Disposa
ble Hydrostatic Release Unit for Liferafts
Manufacturer: Fenerci Denizcilik Egitim Dis Ticaret Ltd Sti, Turkey
Type approval: Cert. no. SAS S070022/M1 issued by Lloyds Register on 14
June 2007”.
Source: C.M Hammar
