Galley equipment broke free of fastenings during severe weather

A member has reported an incident which occurred during a severe storm, whereby a grill fryer in the galley broke loose from its floor mountings and toppled over. A steward working in the vicinity had a narrow escape when the grill fryer just missed him. There were no injuries.

The company took the following immediate actions:

• The galley was evacuated and the bridge was informed;
• An electrician was called to isolate the grill fryer;
• Following electrical isolation, the grill fryer was made safe by temporary sea-fastening until the weather abated and permanent repairs could be made.

During subsequent investigation, it was discovered that the grill fryer had been very poorly connected to the galley floor during the construction of the vessel. The securing bolts had only been screwed into the tiles and not into the steel of the deck.

The vessel crew subsequently checked all other galley appliances and found that they were all securely bolted to the floor. Once the weather had abated, the crew reinstalled the grill-fryer, ensuring that it was securely mounted on the floor.