Tag: fire safety measures

DNV GL has issued a report on fire incidents in Ro-Ro spaces to address growing safety concerns in this segment and provide guidance to shipowners. The report has examined fires within Ro-Ro spaces on Ro-Pax vessels, vehicle carriers and general Ro-Ro cargo vessels and has identified 35 such fires between 2005 and 2016.

DNV GL has mentioned the important aspects of fire safety in the engine room, regarding both newbuildings and ships in service.Many of them,such as insulation, screening and the routing of pipes, cannot be easily addressed in the design approval phase. Therefore, these aspects require adequate attention during the newbuilding construction phase.

Interferry has produced operational best practice guidance for fire safety on ro-ro vehicle decks in response to a string of major incidents. Measures to enhance fire prevention, detection and suppression highlight the need for continuous monitoring, rapid response and optimum efficiency of deluge drencher systems.

Ship owners will need to act now to ensure they comply with new firefighting rules brought into force on 1st January, 2016 for all new buildings warns WSS. New amendments to the safety of life at sea convention (SOLAS), which are now in force have laid down extensive ground rules for fire-fighting on ships designed to carry containers on or above the weather deck and built on or after 1st January, 2016.

Draft mandatory requirements relating to maintenance, thorough examination, operational testing, overhaul and repair of lifeboats and rescue boats, launching appliances and release gear were agreed by the Sub Committee on Ship Systems and Equipment (SSE), meeting for its 3rd session.

The MPA Singapore has issued circular to bring to the attention of the shipping community on the importance to recognise the dangers of conducting barbecue onboard ships.

Additional requirements of portable gas detectors for existing vehicle carriers carrying motor vehicles with compressed hydrogen or natural gas in their tanks as fuel, by ClassNK.

Laundering safety issues - Dried not Fried The US Coast Guard has issued a Marine Safety Alert to warn of the potential hazards that large laundry operations and extra-large-capacity drying machines pose. USCG encourage owners and operators to be aware of and familiar with the equipment and all associated safety systems and to ensure these systems are properly maintained and operational.Recently a small fire developed in a dryer onboard a cruise ship. The fire was quickly extinguished by the vessels crew and caused no significant damage. Subsequently, it was discovered that a built-in fire suppression system, a component of the dryers designed to spray water into the drums in case of fire, had been disabled on all six of the vessels installed dryers. Initial investigation of the associated processes and procedures related to these suppression systems indicated they were not included in the vessels maintenance systems such as Infoship.Regular inspections and evaluations of this fire suppression equipment did not occur, despite other excellent laundry room risk reduction actions routinely undertaken by the crew. Another area of concern involved the shared responsibility for inspection and maintenance of the laundry equipment by two subdepartments: Galley Service Technicians and the Electrical Department. Their ...

Effective from January 1st, 2016 New statutory requirements for fixed inert gas systems will enter into force on 1 January, 2016, as a result of changes to SOLAS, the Fire Safety Systems (FSS) Code and the International Bulk Chemical (IBC) Code.Main changesThe fitting of a fixed inert gas system will be required for tankers of 8,000 tonnes deadweight (dwt) and over, constructed (keel laid) on or after 1 January, 2016. Previously, this applied only to tankers of 20,000 tonnes dwt and over.Tankers 8,000 dwt and over, carrying low-flashpoint cargoes, and constructed (keel laid) on or after 1 January, 2016, must be provided with a fixed inert gas system complying with Chapter 15 of the amended FSS Code (or an equivalent system - subject to acceptance by the flag administration).The existing clause in SOLAS Regulation II-2/4.5.5.2 for waiving the requirements for a fixed inert gas system still applies to all gas carriers, but for chemical tankers it nowonly applies to those constructed before 1 January, 2016. This means that chemical tankers constructed (keel laid) on or after 1 January, 2016, and carrying flammable cargoes such as those listed in the IBC Code chapters 17 and 18, will be required to have ...

Requirements for vehicle carriers carrying motor vehicles with compressed hydrogen or natural gas in their tanks for their own propulsion as cargo will be introduced to SOLAS by IMO resolution MSC.365(93).