Section 6 Protection against gas escape in enclosed and semi-enclosed hazardous areas
Clasification Society 2024 - Version 9.40
Clasifications Register Rules and Regulations - Rules and Regulations for the Classification of Offshore Units, July 2022 - Part 7 Safety Systems, Hazardous Areas and Fire - Chapter 1 Safety and Communication Systems - Section 6 Protection against gas escape in enclosed and semi-enclosed hazardous areas

Section 6 Protection against gas escape in enclosed and semi-enclosed hazardous areas

6.1 General

6.1.1 Enclosed and semi-enclosed hazardous areas as defined in Pt 7, Ch 2, 1.2 Definitions and categories are to be provided with alarms and safe guards required by Pt 7, Ch 1, 6.1 General 6.1.2 to Pt 7, Ch 1, 6.1 General 6.1.4 to give protection against accidental release of hydrocarbon and toxic gases.

6.1.2 Appropriate gas detectors are to be provided, to give warning of gas release in the following locations:
  • Drill floor.
  • Mudrooms.
  • Shale shaker space.
  • Wellhead and riser areas.
  • Adjacent to process equipment.
  • Machinery rooms with gas-fuelled equipment.
  • Turret area.
  • Areas for pipe-laying operations (as defined in Pt 3, Ch 17, 1.1 Application 1.1.1).
  • Any other location where there is a significant risk of a leakage of gas or of liquid liable to release flammable vapour.

6.1.3 Detectors are to be capable of initiating early warning of the presence of gas and are also to be capable of initiating relevant shut-down actions via the emergency shut-down system called for in Pt 7, Ch 1, 7 Emergency shutdown (ESD) systems when higher gas concentrations are detected. To minimise nuisance shut-downs consideration should be given to trips initiated by confirmed response by more than one detector within the space concerned or the provision of similar voting arrangements.

6.1.4 Gas turbines and their enclosures are to be fitted with flammable gas detectors at the following locations:
  • Turbine air intakes.
  • Ventilation system air intakes.
  • Ventilation system exhausts.

The presence of gas in the turbine air intake and/or ventilation system air intake is to initiate shut-down of the turbine and the ventilation system. If gas is sensed only in the ventilation exhaust, the ventilation system is to continue running and the turbine is to be shut down. Proposals involving shutting down and inerting the turbine machinery enclosure for the conditions described will be given special consideration.

6.1.5 If an enclosed hazardous area is supplied with a ventilation system, the presence of gas in the enclosed hazardous area and/or the ventilation system air extracts from this area is not to initiate the shut-down of the area’s ventilation system as this will result in the build-up of hazardous gas in this area. However, other suitable shutdown functionality (i.e. tripping of electrical equipment within the area, process plant shut-down and emergency depressurisation, etc.) are to be initiated dependent upon the degree of hazard.


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