Badly stowed gear may have worsened GW fire

[unhappycamper]

Machinery Repairman 2nd Class William Neault guides his fire team into Hangar Bay 3 aboard the aircraft carrier George Washington on May 22. The spread of the fire and the extent of the damage are under investigation, but Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C., recently sent a message reminding sailors of the importance of making sure that hazardous material is properly stowed.


Badly stowed gear may have worsened GW fire
Staff report
Posted : Tuesday Jun 3, 2008 7:33:48 EDT

Improperly stowed flammable materials may have worsened the May 22 fire aboard the carrier George Washington, according to a Navy fleet-wide message sent Friday reminding sailors to take care with hazardous materials.

Although the message does not cite the George Washington fire by name, it says that “during a recent mishap, improperly managed and stored flammable and combustible materials may have contributed to the spread and intensity of a shipboard fire.” Sent by Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C., the message reminds sailors of the importance of making sure that hazardous material is properly stowed.

The message reminds sailors to be sure they’re following procedures to store materials with a flashpoint below 200 degrees, aerosols, petroleum products, paints, cleaning compounds, oil-soaked rags and others.

Navy spokesman Lt. Sean Robertson emphasized that the investigation into the cause of the George Washington fire was unfinished, but that Navy officials considered the NavSea message a timely reminder for the fleet.

“This was just a prudent measure to remind all ships to look at how they’re storing these materials,” he said.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/06/navy_firestowage_060208w/