In 2020, there was an approximate average of one fire every two weeks onboard ships, while fire/explosion remained the third most common cause of ship total losses (11%) over the past decade. These recent numbers by Allianz show the problem persists despite coordinated industry efforts to minimize such incidents.
Fire onboard remains among the main safety concerns for shipping, since, unlike a fire incident ashore, seafarers are not able to walk away in case of such occurrence and are thus dependent upon adequate fire prevention measures. However, the Safety and Shipping Review 2021 by Allianz revealed that the number of fires/explosions resulting in total losses of vessels increased again year-on-year in 2020, hitting a four-year high of 10. Vessel size has a direct correlation to the potential size of loss, while fire hazards onboard are common both in the engine room and the accommodation rooms.
4 common causes of fire onboard
1. Oil leakage: Leakage from high-pressure fuel oil pipes is the most common risk for fire onboard as oil from these pipes can accidentally fall in high temperature areas due to the machinery involved.
Do: Insulate any hot surface with a temperature above 220 C to prevent any oil encountering a hot surface
Don’t: Invest in poor quality materials regarding pipes and/or associated fittings.
2. Electrical failures: Leaving personal electronic items unattended always entails risks, as there have been cases of faulty devices,overloading of extension cables and plugs, etc.
Do: Remove defective equipment from use/service, when damage is identified.
Don’t: Use multi-gang extension leads and high current devices onboard.
3. Flammable cargo: It is not uncommon that fires erupt during loading and unloading of specific cargoes, like coal, as well as frommisdeclaredhazardous cargo in containers, such as self-igniting charcoal, chemicals and batteries.
Do: Check that all packages are properly marked and labelled; consider using a Container Packing Checklist.
Don’t: Pack damaged packages or stow heavy goods on top of light goods.
4. Hot work: Many cargoes, including a wide range of bulk cargoes and general cargoes can be ignited by hot work.
Do: Carefully prepare and isolate the work area before work commences.
Don’t: Neglect a written plan for the operation, agreed by everyone involved.
Regulatory overview
On 1 July 2002, a comprehensive new set of requirements for fire protection, fire detection and fire extinction onboard ships entered into force as a new revised chapter II-2 of the SOLAS, 1974, as amended, incorporating technological advances in fire detection and extinction as well as lessons learned from fire incidents over the years.
The main regulatory tool for fire detection and fire extinguishing systems is the IMO’s Sub-Committee on Ship Systems and Equipment (SSE) which deals with a wide range of technical and operational matters related to systems and equipment on all types of ships, vessels, craft and mobile units covered by IMO instruments.
Recognizing several recent serious fire accidents on ferries, the latest SSE Sub-Committee (SSE 7), that took place in March 2020, focused on potential draft amendments to SOLAS Convention and associated codes, to enhance fire prevention, detection and extinction on these ship types. It also finalized draft amendments to:
- Chapter 9 of FSS Code,
- the Revised guidelines for the design and approval of fixed water-based fire-fighting systems for ro-ro spaces and special category spaces (MSC.1/Circ.1430/Rev.1) and
- the Guidelines for the maintenance and inspections of fixed CO2 fire-extinguishing systems (MSC.1/Circ.1318);
It also progressed the revision of the Guidelines for the approval of fixed dry chemical powder fire-extinguishing systems for the protection of ships carrying liquefied gases in bulk (MSC.1/Circ.1315).
5 major ship fires to remember
- July 2012: MSC Flaminia
- March 2018: Maersk Honam
- January 2019: Yantian Express
- March 2019: Grande America
- May 2021: X-Press Pearl
Preventing fires onboard: Technology is the key!
The best way to resolve any challenge is to prevent it. The industry seems to have recognized the severity of the issue, especially on container ships, and to be taking initiatives to tackle it. Currently, an IUMI working group on container ship fire safety is working on a draft of recommendations to the IMO for improved fire detection and firefighting capabilities onboard container ships. Amid an increase of container ship fires in the last years, five partners in the Cargo Integrity Group issued last year the ‘CTU Code – a quick guide’ to serve as a route-map for the CTU Code and to assist wider understanding of good packing practices.
Among the bright initiatives that do not seem enough to address the issue, innovation and technology with the use of AI and sophisticated algorithms, as well as blockchain, have unveiled potential to bridge the gap. Currently, the Misdeclaration of Dangerous Goods pilot project by the Maritime Blockchain Labs (MBL) seeks to evaluate how blockchain could support the proper documentation and declaration of dangerous goods. South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries has developed an AI-based fire alarm system that helps detect the outbreak of fires more quickly, while there are firms, like Zim, are trialing the use of AI to identify potential cargo misdeclaration. What is more, the use of video analytics operators can minimize fire risk; video cameras are widely used in shipboard machinery spaces to detect hazardous conditions. A shipboard camera network combined with video analytics creates a highly efficient means for rapidly detecting oil mist, a precursor to a potential fire or explosion, allowing critical time to take action before disaster occurs.
Maybe these are only a few examples of the upcoming opportunities that technology can open up for the industry to deal with fire incidents onboard. In any case, as Standard Club noted, some human interaction for greater monitoring and maintenance is vital towards fire detection.
