Boat Fire Safety Top Ten Tips

• Test the boat’s smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms
• Have a fire action plan, everyone on board should know the plan and what they each should do if there’s a fire or CO incident
• Make sure the escape routes are clear. Never lock or bolt doors and hatches on the outside while you’re aboard
• Turn off any fuel supplies properly after use. If you can, we advise turning gas-valves off before you go to bed or leave the boat
• Don’t leave the galley when cooking. And don’t cook while tired – so don’t ignore the possible effects of alcohol, drugs and medications that can cause drowsiness and so these may affect your judgement
• Smokers - discard cigarettes with care. Make sure you’ve put them out… right out!
• Keep fabrics like curtains, cleaning cloths, tea towels, etc far enough away from cooking hobs and heating stoves to prevent them from charring and catching fire
• Take extra care when refuelling with petrol. First, get all the crew ashore before you start (they should only re-board when the engine is re-started and running nice and smoothly with no pops or back-fires)
• Put out naked flames - turn off the engine and any cookers, grills or hobs. Then close doors, windows or hatches and any awning or pram-covers
• Once filled, replace the filler cap, clean up any fuel spillages and ventilate the engine space completely before turning the ignition key or switch For more tips and advice to help you and your crew stay safe go to www.boatsafetyscheme.org/stay-safe