Coast Guard Issues Mandatory Recall of Dangerous Houseboats

Dangerous levels of carbon monoxide collect beneath the swim platform or above the stern on those houseboats with this design (see attached diagram). Recent data provided the Coast Guard by the Department of Interior and National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health {NIOSH} reveals that the carbon monoxide hazard is greatest when these houseboats are not underway and their electrical generators are running. This safety advisory is in effect until owners or manufacturers have an opportunity to correct the design of the generator system on these vessels. The data from a study at Lake Powell, Arizona, yielded the preliminary evidence supporting the need for the Coast Guard to take action.

Due to the inherent risk presented by CO in engine exhaust, the Coast Guard recommends that all houseboat owners/operators with swim platforms take steps to ensure the safety of anyone swimming by keeping them away from any area where exhaust is vented. Also, owners should contact the manufacturer of their houseboat, if they have any questions concerning the applicability of this recall to their houseboat, or if their houseboat has this design and they have not been contacted by the manufacturer.

The Coast Guard’s News Web site at www.uscg.mil/news is linked to the Office of Boating Safety’s web site at www.uscgboating.org and the Department of Interior’s website at http://safetynet.smis.doi.gov/cohouseboa... Besides providing valuable information regarding CO and houseboats, these links provide other safety information.

BACKGROUND:

In September 2000, the Coast Guard received information from a Department of Interior and NIOSH study that provided important data about concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) associated with various houseboat designs. The study was conducted at Lake Powell, Arizona, due to a number of deaths and injuries there thought to be caused by CO poisoning. The study indicated that dangerous and even lethal levels of CO collect in a cavity beneath the swim platforms and above the stern deck on certain model houseboats when the vessels are not underway and the electrical generator is running.

Participants in the study include Dr. Robert Baron, National Park Service Medical Director for the Glenn Canyon National Recreational Area/Lake Powell; Ranger Steve Luckesen, National Park Service; Industrial Hygienist Mr. Tim Radtke, Department of Interior; Ms. Jane McCammon, carbon monoxide expert for the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health; and others. Through their perseverance and dedication, these individuals were able to finally attribute a number of deaths on Lake Powell that were previously reported

Go To Page: 1 2 3