Out of Date Flares and MRCC Response

[Graham_Wright]

Is it time to consider lasers again? The advantages seem huge - offset by one very important safety issue.

We are working on a design to overcome that.

 

[Poignard]

Can any of those who keep their boats in other European countries tell us what arrangements they have there for flare disposal?

 

[Gordonmc]

Had a problem once at Girvan because their storage was full and they asked me to try again 2 weeks later, following the collection from them. When I phoned back it all went very smoothly, and very pleasant and helpful to deal with

Similar experience here. I phoned Greenock first to get a a time when the Girvan CG would be open. I turned up on a Saturday morning (good for me) and an auxiliary opened up, examined each flare and separated the very old ones to go into a steel crate.
He explained he had been on a course on TEP handling and if there is no-one around with the qual, then they can't take them.
Returning TEP's to the retailer was a no-no. Most of mine came with the boat from Florida. The rest I had collected from the home of a late master mariner at the request of his widow.

 

[guernseyman]

Extract from the Annual Report of the Guernsey Police, under the heading 'Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team':

"The disposal of marine flares and markers is an on-going responsibility for the force. A number of different methods of disposal have been trialled over the years. However following a comprehensive risk assessment, trials with disposing flares and markers in a covered skip have proven to be the most cost effective and safe method of disposal. Hundreds of flares are now burnt at any one time by the EOD team in a controlled and safe environment."

 

[Playtime]

Not so good down south if you're commercial. Lee on Solent wouldn't take them and the supplier with whom we spend a lot of money wanted to charge up to £10 (each item!) for disposal as that was what they had to pay.

W.

Do you have to declare if you're commercial, or was it just a quantity problem?

I found Lee on Solent was fine for my (limited number of) TEPs. Made the appointment and dumped them in the steel container in the garden with the CG on the appointed day. Good service.

I have to admit I haven't replaced them (yet?) - but that's another thread.

 

[Boo2]

Didn't even ask my name

You were probably the only person who's ever done that so he didn't need to ask

Boo2

 

[Sans Bateau]

Just called Lee on Solent CG. I was told the 'offical line' is to call Viking Liferaft service Hamble for disposal. OK, called them and they want £1.30 per item to take them in, no appointment, Monday to Friday.

If I have to pay that amount I will. I have already decided (see various other heated threads previously) to only carry 2 red HH and 2 orange smokes in the future, as I believe that DSC and Epirb make flares redundant.

With the growing difficulty in disposing of flares I can see it could be a growing trend.

 

[Playtime]

Just called Lee on Solent CG. I was told the 'offical line' is to call Viking Liferaft service Hamble for disposal. OK, called them and they want £1.30 per item to take them in, no appointment, Monday to Friday.

That's disappointing (if you still have TEPs to dispose of). Their 'official line' must have changed in the last few months. I disposed of mine at Lee on Solent (as reported above) about 9 months ago without problem.

 

[Sans Bateau]

Effectively this is the advice I was given, as per the DirectGove website below. I read the line in red that the MRCC sites are only obliged to direct you to a collection centre, which will cost you.

"How to arrange disposal of flares
If you have out-of-date or damaged flares, first contact the place where you originally bought the flares. They may operate a 'take back' scheme. If not, contact your local Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC), who will advise you on how the flares can be disposed of safely. Contact numbers for these centres are listed in the table below.
You'll need to tell the MRCC:
how many flares you have to dispose of
how old they are
what condition they are in
The MRCC will then help you make arrangements to take your flares to a licensed disposal site.
The MRCC will tell you where your nearest disposal site is and its opening times. You'll have to deliver the flares to the disposal site at an agreed time. It's likely that you may have to travel a long distance, depending on the facilities available in your area.
If you go to one of these sites without an appointment, you will be turned away. The disposal sites can only accept out-of-date or damaged flares from members of the public. If you are a commercial organisation, you'll need to make your own arrangements."

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelA...ingbywater/Usingpleasurecraftsafely/DG_185790

 

[colvic987]

I phoned Liverpool MRCC located at Crosby and arranged a date and time. Arrived at time and date, used intercom, waited no more than 3 mins. Man inspected flares for condition and locked them away. No cost. EASY

exactly same response for me at crosby, never had any problem disposing flares, over 35 to date, always good professional response from cg.

 

[PilotWolf]

Do you have to declare if you're commercial, or was it just a quantity problem?

I found Lee on Solent was fine for my (limited number of) TEPs. Made the appointment and dumped them in the steel container in the garden with the CG on the appointed day. Good service.

I have to admit I haven't replaced them (yet?) - but that's another thread.

When he saw the MOB smokes he put 2 and 2 together and asked me directly if it was from a commercial vessel and as I had turned up in the company van I couldn't really say otherwise!

W.

 

[Kelpie]

According to the PBO article, TEPs are a very high designation hazardous material. I doubt CalMac would let you take them aboard one of their ferries.
So another reason why we would be stuffed if they close Stornoway MRCC.

 

[NormanS]

Extract from the Annual Report of the Guernsey Police, under the heading 'Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team':

"The disposal of marine flares and markers is an on-going responsibility for the force. A number of different methods of disposal have been trialled over the years. However following a comprehensive risk assessment, trials with disposing flares and markers in a covered skip have proven to be the most cost effective and safe method of disposal. Hundreds of flares are now burnt at any one time by the EOD team in a controlled and safe environment."

Sounds like that's the way to do it. A covered skip shouldn't be too hard to find. Better than driving the d... things half way across the country.

 

[lenseman]

. . . . With the growing difficulty in disposing of flares I can see it could be a growing trend.

I think you can fire them off into a small galvanised dustbin with a chimney lid, the type which are used as garden bonfires.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Garden-Incine...802?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item564281655a

Just point the parachute flares down into the small chimney and the same with the smoke ones but they need to be done at night.

 

[xyachtdave]

I am sure I read on here previously about someone who took flares to his local tip/recycling centre and they took them no problem. Might have been a one off, but worth a try.
I am saving mine in the garage for times of civil unrest.

 

[Sans Bateau]

I am sure I read on here previously about someone who took flares to his local tip/recycling centre and they took them no problem. Might have been a one off, but worth a try.
I am saving mine in the garage for times of civil unrest.

Thats a point! Can we find someone who speaks Arabic who can place an advert on a Middle East version of Ebay, there MUST be a market there!

Can you send TEP via air mail?

 

[jj123]

-

if anyone has any out of date flares i'll take them off your hands for free, i live in lewes, near brighton.

 

[Boathook]

We take ours to a large police station - large because they all have a lead lined container for explosives. I didn't claim to find them in a plastic bag I just told them they were from our boat. It took quite a while because they wanted to list every flare. Other than that no issues and they were very pleasant. Highly recommended.

+1 though I'm not to sure whether they have a lead lined container.

 

[ianfr]

I dropped off a load of old flares at Walton in September, just rang before to say I was coming, and they confirmed that someone would be there who had done the course.

Very easy no charge and very pleasant.

Of course now the p******s in charge have decided that Thames coastgard is no longer necessary.

Ian

 

[Searush]

if anyone has any out of date flares i'll take them off your hands for free, i live in lewes, near brighton.

Now look what you have done! Started the hare again on a time expired thread! had any luck with your advertising? I have some from 1978 if you fancy a drive to Caernarfon & back.