9.4.1 Within the accommodation spaces, service
spaces and control stations the following provisions should be applied:
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.1 In every general area which is likely to be
regularly manned or in which personnel are accommodated at least two
separate escape routes should be provided, situated as far apart as
practicable, to allow ready means of escape to the open decks and
embarkation stations. Exceptionally, the Administration may permit
only one means of escape, due regard being paid to the nature and
location of spaces and to the number of persons who might normally
be accommodated or employed there.
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.2 Stairways should normally be used for means
of vertical escape; however, a vertical ladder may be used for one
of the means of escape when the installation of a stairway is shown
to be impracticable.
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.3 Every escape route should be readily accessible
and unobstructed and all exit doors along the route should be readily
operable. Dead-end corridors exceeding 7 m in length should not be
permitted.
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.4 In addition to the emergency lighting, the
means of escape in accommodation areas, including stairways and exits,
should be marked by lighting or photoluminescent strip indicators
placed not more than 300 mm above the deck at all points of the escape
route, including angles and intersections. The marking should enable
personnel to identify the routes of escape and readily identify the
escape exits. If electric illumination is used, it should be supplied
by the emergency source of power and it should be so arranged that
the failure of any single light or cut in a lighting strip will not
result in the marking being ineffective. Additionally, escape route
signs and fire equipment location markings should be of photoluminescent
material or marked by lighting. The Administration should ensure that
such lighting or photoluminescent equipment has been evaluated, tested
and applied in accordance with the FSS Code.
9.4.2 Two means of escape should be provided from
each machinery space of category A. Ladders should be of steel or
other equivalent material. In particular, one of the following provisions
should be complied with:
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.1 two sets of ladders, as widely separated as
possible, leading to doors in the upper part of the space, similarly
separated and from which access is provided to the open deck. One
of these ladders should be located within a protected enclosure that
satisfies tables 9-1 and 9-2, category (4), from the lower part of
the space it serves to a safe position outside the space. Self-closing
fire doors of the same fire integrity standards should be fitted in
the enclosure. The ladder should be fixed in such a way that heat
is not transferred into the enclosure through non-insulated fixing
points. The enclosure should have minimum internal dimensions of at
least 800 mm by 800 mm, and should have emergency lighting provisions;
or
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.2 one ladder leading to a door in the upper part
of the space from which access is provided to the open deck. Additionally,
in the lower part of the space, in a position well separated from
the ladder referred to, a steel door capable of being operated from
each side should be provided with access to a safe escape route from
the lower part of the space to the open deck.
9.4.3 From machinery spaces other than those of
category A, escape routes should be provided to the satisfaction of
the Administration having regard to the nature and location of the
space and whether persons are normally employed there.
9.4.4 Lifts should not be considered as forming
one of the required means of escape.
9.4.5 Superstructures and deckhouses should be sited such
that, in the event of fire at the drill floor, at least one escape route to the
embarkation position and survival craft is protected against radiant heat flux levels in
excess of 2.5 kW/m2 emanating from the drill floor.
9.4.6 Stairways and corridors used as a means
of escape should meet the provisions of paragraph 13.3 of the FSS
Code.