202610 Self-closing fire door

As a crew member was passing through a selfclosing fire door into the engine control room, his left foot was caught between the closing door and the door frame. His forward momentum caused him to lurch forward, but his foot was caught and he lost his left shoe. The fire door continued to close and badly pinched his now exposed big toe. He was unfit for work for over a week.

Although the company investigation did not judge the door’s closing ’latch speed’ to be a factor, they nonetheless found that periodical verification of self-closing devices for all fleet vessels was a worthwhile addition to the vessel’s planned maintenance system (PMS).

Lessons learned

• In machinery spaces and work environments, well secured protective boots are always recommended.
• Self-closing door mechanisms are adjustable and should be checked from time to time. Door closing speed should be just sufficient to ensure proper closure. Too quick can be a hazard and too slow could mean the door does not have enough energy to catch closed.