Section 11 Fire Protection and Fire Extinction

1101. Fire safety requirements

1. The requirements for tankers in SOLAS chapter II-2 are to apply to ships covered by this Guidance, irrespective of tonnage including ships of less than 500 tons gross tonnage, except that:

(1) regulation 4.5.1.6 and 4.5.10 do not apply;

(2) regulation 10.2 as applicable to cargo ships and regulation 10.4 and 10.5 are to apply as they would apply to tankers of 2,000 tons gross tonnage and over;

(3) regulation 10.5.6 is to apply to ships of 2,000 tons gross tonnage and over;

(4) the following regulations of SOLAS chapter II-2 related to tankers do not apply and are re- placed by Sections and articles of this Guidance as detailed below:

(5) regulation 13.3.4 and 13.4.3 are to apply to ships of 500 gross tonnage and over.

2. All sources of ignition are to be excluded from spaces where flammable vapour may be present except as otherwise provided in ch 10 and 15.

3. The provisions of this article apply in conjunction with Sec 3.

4. For the purposes of fire fighting, any open deck areas above cofferdams, ballast or void spaces at the after end of the aftermost hold space or at the forward end of the forwardmost hold space are to be included in the cargo area.

1102. Fire water main equipment

1. All ships, irrespective of size, carrying products which are subject to this Guidance are to comply with the requirements of SOLAS regulations II-2/10.2, 10.4 and 10.5, except that the required fire pump capacity and fire main and water service pipe diameter is not to be limited by the provisions of regulations II-2/10.2.2.4.1 and 10.2.1.3 when the fire pump and fire main are used as part of the water spray system as permitted by 1103. 3. In addition, the requirements of regulation II- 2/10.2.1.6 are to be met at a pressure of at least 0.5 MPa gauge.

2. The arrangements are to be such that at least two jets of water can reach any part of the deck in the cargo area and those portions of the cargo containment system and hold space covers above the deck. The necessary number of fire hydrants is to be located to satisfy the above arrangements and to comply with the requirements of SOLAS regulations II-2/10.2.1.5.1 and 10.2.3.3, with hose lengths as specified in 10.2.3.1.1.

3. Stop valves are to be fitted in any crossover provided and in the fire main or mains at the poop front and at intervals of not more than 40 m between hydrants on the deck in the cargo area for the purpose of isolating damaged sections of the main.

4. All water nozzles provided for fire-fighting use are to be of an approved dual-purpose type capable of producing either a spray or a jet. All pipes, valves, nozzles and other fittings in the fire-fighting systems are to be resistant to the effects of fire and to corrosion by wate(i.e. galvanized pipes may be used).

5. Where the ship's engine-room is unattended, arrangements are to be made to start and connect to

the fire main at least one fire station outside the cargo area.

pump by remote control from the navigating bridge or other control

1103. Water spray system

1. A water spray system for cooling, fire prevention and crew protection are to be installed to

cover:

(1) Exposed hold space covers and any exposed parts of cargo tanks and cargo piping;

(2) exposed on-deck storage vessels for flammable or toxic products;

(3) cargo liquid and vapour discharge and loading manifolds and the area of their control valves and any other areas where essential control valves are situated and which are to be at least equal to the area of the drip trays provided; and

(4) boundaries of superstructures and deckhouses normally manned, cargo handling equipment rooms, turret, spaces containing high fire risk items and cargo control rooms, all facing the cargo area. Boundaries of unmanned forecastle structures not containing high fire risk items or equipment do not require water spray protection.

2. The system are to be capable of covering all areas mentioned in Par 1 with a uniformly dis- tributed water spray of at least 10 m per minute for horizontal projected surfaces and 4 m per minute for vertical surfaces. For structures having no clearly defined horizontal or vertical surfaces, the capacity of the water spray system are to be the greater of the following:

(1) projected horizontal surface multiplied by 10 m per minute; or

(2) actual surface multiplied by 4 m per

minute.

On vertical surfaces, spacing of nozzles protecting lower areas may take account of anticipated

rundown from higher areas. Stop valves are to be fitted at intervals in the spray main for the

purpose of isolating damaged sections. Alternatively, the system may be divided into two or more sections which may be operated independently provided the necessary controls are located

3. together, aft of the cargo area. A section protecting any area included in Par 1 (1) and (2) is to cover the whole of the athwartship tank grouping which includes that area.

The capacity of the water spray pumps are to be sufficient to deliver the required amount of water to all areas simultaneously or where the system is divided into sections, the arrangements and ca- pacity are to be such as to supply water simultaneously to any one section and to the surfaces specified in Par 1 (3) and (4). Alternatively, the main fire pumps may be used for this service provided that their total capacity is increased by the amount needed for the spray system. In either case, a connection, through a stop valve, are to be made between the fire main and water spray

4. main outside the cargo area.

5. Subject to the approval of the Society, water pumps normally used for other services may be ar- ranged to supply the water spray main.

All pipes, valves, nozzles and other fittings in the water spray systems are to be resistant to corro-

6. sion by seawater, for which purpose galvanized pipe, for example, may be used, and to the effect of fire.

Remote starting of pumps supplying the water spray system and remote operation of any normally closed valves in the system are to be arranged in suitable locations outside the cargo area, adjacent

7. to the accommodation spaces and readily accessible and operable in the event of fire in the areas protected.

1104. Dry chemical powder fire-extinguishing systems

1. Ships are to be fitted with fixed dry chemical powder type extinguishing systems for the purpose of fighting fire on the deck in the cargo area and bow or stern cargo handling areas if applicable. The system and the dry chemical powder are to be adequate for this purpose and satisfactory to the Society.

2. The system are to be capable of delivering powder from at least two hand hose lines or combina- tion monitor/hand hose lines to any part of the above-deck exposed cargo area including above- deck cargo piping. The system are to be activated by an inert gas such as nitrogen, used ex- clusively for this purpose and stored in pressure vessels adjacent to the powder containers.

3. The system for use in the cargo area is to consist of at least two independent self-contained dry chemical powder units with associated controls, pressurizing medium fixed piping, monitors or hand

hose lines. For ships with a cargo capacity of less than 1,000 m only one such unit

be fit-

need ted, subject to approval by the Society. A monitor is to be provided and so arranged protect

as to the cargo loading and discharge manifold areas and be capable of actuation and locally

and remotely. The monitor is not required to be remotely aimed if it can deliver the necessary powder to all required areas of coverage from a single position. All hand hose lines and monitors are to be capable of actuation at the hose storage reel or monitor. At least one hand hose line or monitor is to be situated at the after end of the cargo area.

4. A fire-extinguishing unit having two or more monitors, hand hose lines, or combinations thereof, is to have independent pipes with a manifold at the powder container, unless a suitable alternative means is provided to ensure proper performance as approved by the Society. Where two or more pipes are attached to a unit the arrangement is to be such that any or all of the monitors and hand hose lines are to be capable of simultaneous or sequential operation at their rated capacities.

5. The capacity of a monitor is to be not less than 10 kg/s. Hand hose lines are to be non-kinkable and be fitted with a nozzle capable of on/off operation and discharge at a rate not less than 3.5 kg/s. The maximum discharge rate is to be such as to allow operation by one person. The length of a hand hose line is not to exceed 33 m. Where fixed piping is provided between the powder container and a hand hose line or monitor, the length of piping is not to exceed that length which

is capable of maintaining the powder in a which can be purged of powder when the

fluidized state during sustained or intermittent use, and system is shut down. Hand hose lines and nozzles are

to be of weather-resistant construction or stored in weather-resistant housing or covers and be read- ily accessible.

6. A sufficient quantity of dry chemical powder is to be stored in each container to provide a mini- mum 45 seconds discharge time for all monitors and hand hose lines attached to each powder unit. Coverage from fixed monitors is to be in accordance with Table 3.11.1.

Table 3.11.1 Coverage from Fixed Monitors

Hand hose lines are to be considered to have a maximum effective distance of coverage equal to the length of hose. Special consideration is to be given where areas to be protected are sub- stantially higher than the monitor or hand hose reel locations.

7. Ships fitted with bow or stern loading and discharge arrangements are to be provided with an addi-

tional dry chemical powder unit plying with the requirements of

complete with at least one monitor and one hand hose line com-

Par 1 to 6. This additional unit is to be located to protect the

bow or stern loading and discharge arrangements. The area of the cargo line forward or aft of the

cargo area is to be protected by hand hose lines.

1105. Cargo handling system rooms

1. The cargo handling system rooms of any ship are to be provided with a carbon dioxide system as specified in SOLAS regulation II-2/10.9.1.1. or equivalent. A notice is to be exhibited at the con- trols stating that the system is only to be used for fire-extinguishing and not for inerting purposes,

due to the electrostatic

are to be safe for use ment, an extinguishing

ignition hazard. The alarms referred to in SOLAS regulation II-2/10.9.1.1.1

in a flammable cargo vapour-air mixture. For the purpose of this require- system is to be provided which would be suitable for machinery spaces.

However, the amount of carbon dioxide gas carried is to be sufficient to provide a quantity of free

gas equal to 45 % of the gross volume of cargo handling system rooms in all cases.

2. Audible alarms fitted to warn of the release of fire extinguishing medium into cargo handling sys- tem rooms, are to be of the pneumatic type or electric type:

(1) In cases where the periodic testing of pneumatically operated alarms is required, CO operated alarms should not be used owing to the possibility of the generation of static electricity in the CO cloud. Air operated alarms may be used provided the air supply is clean

(2) When electrically operated alarms are used, the arrangements are to be such that the electric ac- tuating mechanism is located outside the cargo handling system room except where the alarms

are certified intrinsically safe.

1106. Fire-fighter's outfits

1. Every ship should carry fire-fighter's outfits complying with the requirements of SOLAS regulation II-2/10.10 as follows:

2. Any breathing apparatus required as part of a fire-fighter's outfit should be a self-contained air-breathing apparatus having a capacity of at least 1,200 of free air.