Section 17 Enhanced fire safety arrangement

17.1.1 The purpose of this Section is to contain a fire in the space or area of origin and cool adjacent areas to prevent fire spread, structural damage and cargo loss on container ships.

17.1.2 Compliance with the requirements of the SOLAS - International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, as amended, is requisite of this Section. The fire-fighting arrangements of this Section are supplementary to those given in SOLAS Chapter II-2 - Construction - Fire protection, fire detection and fire extinction.

17.2.1 Ships which comply with all the requirements of this Section will be assigned a notation FIRE(C, WATER SPRAY). For ships which comply with all requirements of this Section except Pt 4, Ch 8, 17.2 General 17.2.4 (i.e. ships which are not fitted with underdeck waterspray systems) will be assigned a notation of FIRE(C).

17.2.2  The terms used in these requirements are as defined in the SOLAS - International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, as amended (hereafter referred to as SOLAS).

17.2.3 The requirements of this Section are additional to those applicable in other Sections of this Chapter.

17.2.4 Special consideration, consistent with the fire hazard involved, will be given to construction or arrangement features not covered by this Section.

17.3.1 Any openings that cannot be made gastight at the time of extinguishment shall be compensated for by the supply of additional quantities of CO₂ gas. The quantity of additional CO₂ gas required should be calculated based on guidelines developed by the IMO, e.g. MSC/Circ.1087.

17.3.2 Except for empty cargo hold conditions, advice shall be given that a suitable quantity of CO₂ gas, as recommended by the manufacturer, needs to be discharged on an intermittent basis to maintain fire suppression in the cargo space until the vessel reaches port or shore-side fire-fighting personnel arrive. The required quantity that needs to be discharged every time should be determined on the basis of the gap through which CO₂ gas is able to escape.

17.3.3 The closing devices fitted on ventilation openings of cargo spaces shall be easily accessible from the normal walkways and passageways, e.g. should be within reach for personnel standing on deck, and shall not be cut off by fire or hot gases produced within the space concerned. If the closing devices are inaccessible from on deck (closing devices which require the use of a fixed/portable ladder to operate them are regarded as inaccessible), a suitable mechanism (e.g. wire ropes, or a handle, or other manual hydraulic handles) should be provided to allow operation from on deck.

17.3.4 A fixed waterspray system complying with SOLAS Chapter II-2 - Construction - Fire protection, fire detection and fire extinction, Regulations 19.3.1.3 and 19.3.1.5, for cooling and fire suppression, shall be installed for each underdeck cargo space.

The waterspray system piping and nozzle arrangement for each cargo hold shall be capable of being connected easily to fire mains by fire hoses of suitable size.

It is the responsibility of the Master to determine whether the system can be used for the cargoes being carried. It is understood that the water shall not be directly applied to materials that react with water, such as metallic sodium or calcium carbide, which produce violent reactions or increase hazardous products as a result of heated vapour emission.

17.4.1 The water supply to the fire hydrants serving the cargo area shall be provided by a ring main supplied by the main fire pumps.

A single fire main may be provided as an alternative, supplied by fire pumps located fore and aft of the cargo area. The aggregate total capacity of fire pump(s) shall be of adequate capacity to supply the provided number of hydrants serving the required fire hoses, the water mist lances, the mobile water monitors and/or the waterspray system as applicable. The fire hydrants located at forward/afterward the damaged section of a single fire main system may be inaccessible based on the location of the accommodation where the crew members are living and working during normal operations are to be taken into consideration.

17.4.2 Stop valves shall be fitted in any crossover provided in the fire main or mains at sufficient intervals to ensure isolation of any damaged single section of the fire main. The distance between isolation valves shall not be greater than two (2) times the length of the fire hoses provided for use in the cargo area.

17.4.3 The fire main shall be provided with a sufficient number of fire hydrants on each side of the ship, to supply water for the required mobile water monitors and fire hoses.

17.4.4 Where the fire mains, as required in Pt 4, Ch 8, 17.4 Fire suppression arrangement for open decks 17.4.1, and isolation valves, as required in Pt 4, Ch 8, 17.4 Fire suppression arrangement for open decks 17.4.2, are installed in underdeck enclosed spaces adjacent to the cargo spaces (e.g. passageways), which may be rendered inaccessible by a fire within the cargo area, then one means of following should be provided so that the required numbers of hydrants can be water supplied:

1. the isolation valves within inaccessible spaces shall be capable of being operated from open deck and shall not be cut off by fire or hot gases;
2. the isolation valves outside inaccessible spaces can be accessible and the required number of water jets from fire hoses and monitors can cover the cargo hold and deck above; or
3. appropriate instructions for closing the isolation valves as mentioned in Pt 4, Ch 8, 17.4 Fire suppression arrangement for open decks 17.4.4.(a) within one hour from when the fire alarm was sounded.

17.4.5 For ships designed to carry fewer than five tiers of containers on or above the weather deck, at least two mobile water monitors complying with MSC.1/Circular.1472 – Guidelines for the Design, Performance, Testing and Approval of Mobile Water Monitors used for the Protection of On – Deck Cargo areas of Ships Designed and Constructed to Carry Five or More Tiers of Containers... and at least one water mist lance shall be provided. The water mist lance shall consist of a tube with a piercing nozzle which is capable of penetrating a container wall and producing water mist inside a confined space (container, etc.) when connected to the fire main.

17.4.6 The horizontal throwing distance of the monitor, when it reaches the top tier of containers under the necessary pressure, shall be not less than the ship’s breadth for ships with breadth less than 30 m, and not less than 30 m or half of the ship’s breadth, whichever is greater, for ships with breadth of 30 m or more.

17.4.7 The mobile water monitors may be supplied by the fire main, provided the total capacity of fire pumps and the fire main diameter are adequate to simultaneously operate the mobile water monitors and two jets (four jets for ships which carry dangerous goods on deck in cargo areas) of water from fire hoses at the required pressure values.

If a fixed waterspray system is installed for each underdeck cargo space, for which water is supplied from the fire main, the total capacity of fire pumps and the fire main diameter should be adequate to simultaneously operate the system, the mobile water monitors and two jets (four jets for ships which carry dangerous goods on deck in cargo areas) of water from fire hoses at the required pressure values.

17.4.8 Fire hoses shall be provided of suitable size so as to ensure the required capacity of mobile water monitors, and of sufficient length, not less than 10 m, so as to ensure the safety of fire-fighters. The mobile water monitors, all necessary hoses, fittings and required fixing hardware shall be kept ready for use in a location outside the cargo space area not likely to be cut off in the event of a fire in the cargo spaces.

17.4.9 The mobile monitors shall be capable of being securely fixed to the ship’s structure, ensuring safe and effective operation. The mobile monitors shall be capable of being rapidly and easily deployed on the uppermost level of lashing bridges. If the above is impracticable, the monitors having appropriate performance may be located other positions, e.g. at bridge top, and are able to provide effective water barriers forward and aft of each container bay.

17.5.2 At least one fully charged spare air bottle for each required breathing apparatus shall be provided.

17.5.3 An air compressor of adequate capacity, capable of continuous operation, suitable for the supply of high-pressure air of breathable quality, together with a charging manifold capable of simultaneously supplying all spare breathing apparatus air bottles, shall be provided.

17.5.4 A minimum of two two-way portable radiotelephone apparatus for every two sets of fire-fighter’s outfits shall be provided. The two-way portable radiotelephone apparatus shall be of an explosion-proof type or intrinsically safe.

17.6.1 Means are to be provided, which can be easily carried by the crew during fire patrols on board, to detect a potential fire in a container, so that the fire can be detected as early as possible, e.g. thermal imaging cameras. The equipment/devices are to be approved in accordance with a recognised standard.

17.7.1 Suitable respiratory and eye protection for every person on board, for emergency escape purposes, shall be provided to protect personnel from smoke and/or toxic gas produced by cargo fire.