Tag: fire safety measures

With the growing size of container vessels, and a recent spate of fires on board these ships, the International Union of Marine Insurance is concerned that current firefighting provisions are insufficient and has published a position paper calling for better on board firefighting systems for container vessels.

The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency issued a bulletin to inform operators that it has observed an issue with fire doors manufactured by COSMO Co. Ltd. In particular, it has come to light that the insulation in these doors is missing from the upper part, sides and bottom.

Bureau Veritas has informed that a certification scheme has been introduced in the Netherlands, aiming to ensure a safe working environment and reduce pollution in line with regulatory requirements.

Bigger boxships demand a firefighting infrastructure with enhanced capacity explains Matthew Temblay, ABS vice president for containerships. As key for the owners and operators is the ability to protect life and cargo onboard, ABS decided to move forward with the development of a new standard for fire safety.

The UK P&I Club advised on the BA Control Board as an important piece of apparatus during firefighting exercises. George Devereese, Senior Loss Prevention Executive at UK Club, discusses how this device is often overlooked and why it is important to have realistic fire training drills.

MPA Singapore has issued a circular providing guidance on the maintenance and inspection of the fixed carbon dioxide fire extinguishing system and the engine room escape hatch door. The advisory was released after two safety failures were identified in a recent engine room fire incident involving a Singapore registered ship.

The US Coast Guard informed that the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee, held in June, approved the Guidelines for the Selection of Life Safety Performance Criteria, for use in Alternative Design and Arrangements for Fire Safety. Correspondingly, the USCG Marine Safety Center will now refer to these life safety criteria, when assessing vessels.

The United States Coast Guard issued a safety alert, in order to inform about a fuel spray fire onboard a commercial vessel. These types of incidents, involving fuel leakages contacting hot surfaces and igniting, happen too frequently and have been a focus of various marine safety organizations, such as the IMO, for many years.

ABS has updated its Guide for Fire-Fighting Systems for On-Deck Cargo Areas of Container Carriers, expanding the guidance to the existing container ship fleet. The guide aims to support owners in navigating risks, based on the unique characteristics of each container load, location of the container on the vessel and various firefighting spray patterns.

The Swedish P&I Club has issued its Monthly Safety Scenario for June, regarding an incident of fire on board a general cargo vessel. The fire was emitted during welding operations, a common practice when carrying cargo, in order to secure it. By presenting this case, the Club urges operators to think of possible actions if something similar occurred in their vessels.