Chapter 15A - Fire Appliances Vessels of Less than 500GT
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Statutory Documents - MCA Publications - Yacht Code - January 2019 Edition - Part A - Large Yacht Code (up to 12 passengers) - Chapter 15A - Fire Appliances Vessels of Less than 500GT

Chapter 15A - Fire Appliances Vessels of Less than 500GT

15A.1 General Requirements

(1) Fire appliances shall be of an approved type and shall be provided to meet the minimum requirements listed in Table 15A.1 and the specific requirements of Section 15A.2.

(2) Fire appliances provided in addition to those required by Section 15A.1(1) shall be of a type acceptable to the Administration.

(3) The location of concealed fire appliances shall be clearly marked.

Table 15A.1 - FIRE APPLIANCES - VESSELS OF LESS THAN 500GT

1 PROVISION OF WATER JET One (sufficient to reach any part of vessel)
2 POWER DRIVEN FIRE PUMP One (engine or independent drive)
3 ADDITIONAL INDEPENDENT POWER DRIVEN FIRE PUMP, POWER SOURCE AND SEA CONNECTION One (not located in the same space as item 2)
4 FIREMAIN and HYDRANTS Sufficient to achieve item 1 with a single length of hose
5 HOSES Three (with jet/spray nozzles each fitted with a shut-off facility)
6 PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHERSfootnote
(Accommodation and Service Spaces)) 		For each deck, one within 10m of any position within an accommodation or service space
7 FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
(For a Machinery Space of Category A) 		A fixed fire extinguishing system approved in accordance with the Fire Safety Systems Code; and

One portable extinguisher for oil fires for each 74.6kw power (up to 7 maximum); or

Two portable extinguishers for oil fires together with either one foam extinguisher of 45l capacity or 1 CO2 extinguisher of 16kg capacity)

8 FIREMANS OUTFITfootnote - to include an approved breathing apparatus for each outfitfootnote Two
9 FIRE BLANKET - in galley One

15A.2 Provision of Water Jet

(1) At least one jet of water, from a single length of hose, shall be able to reach any part of the vessel normally accessible to passengers or crew while the vessel is being navigated and, any store room or any part of a storage compartment when empty.

15A.3 Fire Pumps

(1) The power driven fire pump shall have a capacity of

  • 2.5x{1+0.066x(L(B+D))0.5}2 m3/hour

  • where:

  • L = the length

  • B = the greatest moulded breadth

  • D = the moulded depth measured to the bulkhead deck at amidships.

    When discharging at full capacity through 2 adjacent fire hydrants, the pump shall be capable of maintaining a water pressure of 0.2N/mm2 at any hydrant, provided the fire hose can be effectively controlled at this pressure.

(2) The second fire pump, which may be portable, shall have a capacity of at least 80% of that required by 15A.3(1) and be capable of input to the fire main. A permanent sea connection, external to the machinery space, shall be provided. "Throw-over" sea suctions are not acceptable.

(3) Each centrifugal fire pump shall be provided with a non-return valve in the connection to the fire main.

15A.4 Fire Main and Hydrants

(1) A fire main, water service pipes and fire hydrants shall be fitted.

(2) The fire main and water service pipe connections to the hydrants shall be sized for the maximum discharge rate of the pump(s) connected to the main.

(3) The fire main, water service pipes and fire hydrants shall be constructed such that they shall:

  • (a) not be rendered ineffective by heat;

  • (b) not readily corrode; and

  • (c) be protected against freezing.

(4) When a fire main is supplied by 2 pumps, 1 in the machinery space and 1 elsewhere, provision shall be made for isolation of the fire main within the machinery space and for the second pump to supply the fire main and hydrants external to the machinery space. Isolation valve(s) shall be manually operated valves fitted outside the machinery space in a position easily accessible in the event of a fire.

(5) The fire main shall have no permanent connections other than those necessary for firefighting or washing down.

(6) Fire hydrants shall be located for easy attachment of fire hoses, protected from damage and distributed so that a single length of the fire hoses provided can reach any part of the vessel.

(7) Fire hydrants shall be fitted with valves that allow a fire hose to be isolated and removed when a fire pump is operating.

15A.5 Fire Hoses

(1) Fire hoses shall not exceed 20 metres in length, and generally, the diameter for use with a powered pump shall not be less than 38 millimetres.

(2) Fire hoses and associated tools and fittings shall be kept in readily accessible and known locations, close to the hydrants or connections on which they shall be used. Hoses supplied from a powered pump shall have jet/spray nozzles (incorporating a shut-off facility) of diameter 19 millimetres, 16 millimetres or 12 millimetres depending on firefighting purposes. For accommodation and service spaces, the diameter of nozzles need not exceed 12 millimetres. For machinery spaces and exterior locations, the nozzle size shall be as to obtain the maximum discharge possible from two jets at the pressure referred to in Section 15A.2(1), from the smallest pump.

(3) Hydrants or connections in interior locations on the vessel shall have hoses connected at all times. For use within accommodation and service spaces, proposals to provide a smaller diameter of hoses and jet/spray nozzles shall be considered.

(4) The number of fire hoses and nozzles provided shall correspond to the functional fire safety requirements, but be at least 3.

15A.6 Portable Fire Extinguishers for Use in Accommodation and Service Spaces

(1) The number, location, fire extinguishing medium type and capacity shall be selected according to the perceived fire risk, but for each deck, one portable extinguisher shall be available for use within a distance of 10 metres from any location. A minimum of at least 3 portable fire extinguishers shall be provided. As far as practical, the fire extinguishers provided shall have a uniform method of operation and shall be of an approved 5kg/9 litre type and capacity.

(2) Portable fire extinguishers of the carbon dioxide type shall not be located or provided for use in accommodation spaces.

(3) Except for portable extinguishers provided in connection with a specific hazard within a space when it is manned (such as a galley), portable extinguishers generally shall be located external to, but adjacent to, the entrance of the space(s) in which they shall be used. Extinguishers shall be stowed in readily accessible and marked locations.

(4) Spare charges shall be provided onboard for at least 50% of each type and capacity of portable fire extinguisher onboard. When an extinguisher is not of a type which is rechargeable when the vessel is at sea, an additional portable fire extinguisher of the same type (or its equivalent) shall be provided.

15A.7 Fire Extinguishing in Machinery Spaces

(1) In a category A machinery space containing internal combustion type machinery, fire appliances shall be provided at least to the extent listed in item 7 of Table 15A.1 - Fire Appliances.

(2) In a machinery space containing an oil fired boiler, oil fuel settling tank or oil fuel unit, a fixed fire extinguishing system complying with the Fire Safety Systems Code shall be installed.

(3) Portable fire extinguishers shall be installed and the number, location, fire extinguishing medium type and capacity shall be selected according to the perceived fire risk in the space. (Spare charges or spare extinguishers shall be provided per 15A.6(4)). In any case, portable fire extinguishers for extinguishing oil fires shall be fitted as follows:

  • (a) in a boiler room - at least 2;

  • (b) in a space containing any part of an oil fuel installation - at least 2; and

  • (c) in a firing space - at least 1.

(4) Where fixed carbon dioxide fire-extinguishing systems for the protection of machinery spaces are fitted on ships constructed before 1 July 2002, they shall comply with the provisions of paragraph 2.2.2 of chapter 5 of the Fire Safety Systems Code.

15A.8 Fire-fighter's communication

(1) On existing vessels and new vessels, a minimum of two two-way portable radiotelephone apparatus for each fire party for fire-fighter's communication shall be carried onboard. Those two-way portable radiotelephone apparatus shall be of an explosion-proof type or intrinsically safe.

15A.9 Additional Equivalence Considerations

(1) None

15A.10 Alternative Design and Arrangements

(1) Vessels may follow Section 1.9 on Alternative Design and Arrangements for this chapter as allowed by SOLAS II-2/17.

(2) The engineering analysis required by 1.9(3) shall be prepared and submitted to the Administration, based on the guidelinesfootnote and shall include, as a minimum, the following engineering analysis elements:

  • (a) determination of the ship type and space(s) concerned;

  • (b) identification of prescriptive requirement(s) with which the ship or the space(s) will not comply;

  • (c) identification of the fire and explosion hazards of the ship or the space(s) concerned, including;

    • (i) identification of the possible ignition sources;

    • (ii) identification of the fire growth potential of each space concerned;

    • (iii) identification of the smoke and toxic effluent generation potential for each space concerned;

    • (iv) identification of the potential for the spread of fire, smoke or of toxic effluents from the space(s) concerned to other spaces;

  • (d) determination of the required fire safety performance criteria for the ship or the space(s) concerned addressed by the prescriptive requirement(s) in particular:

    • (i) performance criteria shall be based on the fire safety objectives and on the functional requirements of this chapter;

    • (ii)performance criteria shall provide a degree of safety not less than that achieved by using the prescriptive requirements; and

    • (iii) performance criteria shall be quantifiable and measurable;

  • (e) detailed description of the alternative design and arrangements, including a list of the assumptions used in the design and any proposed operational restrictions or conditions; and

  • (f) technical justification demonstrating that the alternative design and arrangements meet the required fire safety performance criteria.

Parent topic: Part A - Large Yacht Code (up to 12 passengers)
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