Coast Guard issues warning on charging phone batteries after California boat fire

[Eugene]

Source: USA Today

Coast Guard issues warning on charging phone batteries after California boat fire

John Bacon, USA TODAY Published 8:24 a.m. ET Sept. 12, 2019 | Updated 11:00 a.m. ET Sept. 12, 2019

The Coast Guard has issued a safety bulletin following the California boat fire that killed 34 people, recommending commercial boat operators limit unsupervised charging of cellphones and other electronic devices.

A preliminary report on the Labor Day fire that destroyed the dive ship Conception near Santa Cruz Island could be issued as soon as Thursday, the National Transportation Safety Board said. The cause of the fire likely won't be addressed, but NTSB members have said how batteries and electronics were stored and charged is being scrutinized.

The Coast Guard said it has convened a Marine Board of Investigation to determine the cause of the blaze. But the bulletin noted that it does not have to await the board's findings before taking "immediate and positive" action.

“In some instances, our marine casualty boards identify pressing safety issues related to vessel stability, the engine room or lifesaving and firefighting equipment,” said Capt. Jason Neubauer, chair of the Marine Board of Investigation. “In those instances, we issue safety alerts or bulletins."

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Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/09/12/coast-guard-warns-charging-phone-batteries-amid-california-boat-fire/2297964001/

[VMA131Marine]

1. The first thing they should do

is require that boats carrying that many people have a 24-hour watch; everyone, including the crew, was asleep when the fire broke out and by the time they woke up it was too intense to fight with the fire extinguishers they had available.