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Merchant Shipping Act, 1951 (Act No. 57 of 1951)

Schedules

Second Schedule

Protocol of 1978 Relating to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974

Annex

Chapter II-2 : Construction—Fire Protection, Fire Detection and Fire Extinction

Part D — Fire Safety Measures for Cargo Ships

Regulation 52 : Fire-extinguishing systems and equipment

 

(a) Application.

Where ships have a lower gross tonnage than those quoted in this Regulation, the arrangements for the items covered in this Regulation shall be to the satisfaction of the Administration.

 

(b) Fire pumps and fire main system.

The ship shall be provided with fire pumps, fire main system, hydrants and hoses complying with Regulation 5 of this Chapter and with the following requirements:

(i) A ship of 1 000 tons gross tonnage and upwards shall be provided with two independently driven power pumps.
(ii) In a ship of 1 000 tons gross tonnage and upwards if a fire in any one compartment could put all the pumps out of action, there must be an alternative means of providing water for fire fighting. In a ship f 2 000 tons gross tonnage and upwards this alternative means shall be a fixed emergency pump independently driven. This emergency pump shall be capable of supplying two jets of water to the satisfaction of the Administration.

 

(c) Fire hydrants, hoses and nozzles.
(i) In a ship of 1 000 tons gross tonnage and upwards the number of fire hoses to be provided, each complete with couplings and nozzles, shall be one for each 30 metres (100 feet) length of the ship and one spare but in no case less than five in all. This number does not include any hoses required in any engine or boiler room. The Administration may increase the number of the hoses required so as to ensure that hoses in sufficient number are available and accessible at all times, having regard to the type of the ship and the nature of the trade on which the ship is employed.
(ii) In accommodation, service and machinery spaces, the number and position of hydrants shall be such as to comply with the requirements of paragraph (d) of Regulation 5 of this Chapter.
(iii) In a ship the arrangements shall be such that at least two jets of water can reach any part of any cargo space when empty.
(iv) All required hydrants in the machinery spaces of ships with oilfired boilers or internal combustion type propelling machinery shall be fitted with hoses having nozzles as required in paragraph (g) of Regulation 5 of this Chapter.

 

(d) International shore connection.
(i) A ship of 1 000 tons gross tonnage and upwards shall be provided with at least one international shore connection, complying with paragraph (h) of Regulation 5 of this Chapter.
(ii) Facilities shall be available enabling such a connection to be used on either side of the ship.

 

(e) Portable fire extinguishers in accommodation and service spaces.

The ship shall be provided in accommodation and service spaces with such approved portable fire extinguishers as the Administration may deem to be appropriate and sufficient; in any case, their number shall not be less than five for ships of 1000 tons gross tonnage and upwards.

 

(f) Fixed fire-extinguishing arrangements in cargo spaces.
(i) Cargo spaces of ships of 2 000 tons gross tonnage and upwards shall be protected by a fixed fire extinguishing system complying with Regulation 8 of this Chapter.
(ii) The Administration may exempt from the requirements of subparagraph (i) of this paragraph the cargo holds of any ship (other than the tanks of a tanker)—
(1) if they are provided with steel hatch covers and effective means of closing all ventilators and other openings leading to the holds;
(2) if the ship is constructed and intended solely for carrying such cargo as ore, coal or grain; or
(3) where it is shown to the satisfaction of the Administration that the ship is engaged on voyages of such short duration that it would be unreasonable to apply the requirement.
(iii) Every ship in addition to complying with the requirements of this Regulation shall, while carrying explosives of such nature or in such quantity as are not permitted to be carried in passenger ships under Regulation 7 of Chapter VII of this Convention comply with the following requirements:
(1) Steam shall not be used in any compartment containing explosives. For the purpose of this subparagraph, “compartment” means all spaces contained between two adjacent permanent bulkheads and includes the lower hold and all cargo spaces above it.
(2) In addition, in each compartment containing explosives and in adjacent cargo compartments, there shall be provided a smoke- or fire-detection system in each cargo space.

 

(g) Fire-extinguishing appliances in boiler rooms, etc.

Where main or auxiliary oi-lfired boilers are situated, or in spaces containing oil fuel units or settling tanks, a ship of 1 000 tons gross tonnage and upwards shall be provided with the following arrangements:

(i) There shall be any one of the following fixed fire-extinguishing installations:
(1) A pressure water-spraying system complying with Regulation 11 of this Chapter.
(2) A fire-extinguishing installation complying with Regulation 8 of this Chapter.
(3) A fixed froth installation complying with Regulation 9 of this Chapter. (The Administration may require fixed or mobile arrangements by pressure water or froth spraying to fight fire above the floor plates.)

In each case if the engine and boiler rooms are not entirely separate, or if fuel oil can drain from the boiler room into the engine room bilges, the combined engine and boiler rooms shall be considered as one compartment.

(ii) There shall be at least two approved portable extinguishers discharging froth or other approved medium suitable for extinguishing oil fires in each firing space in each boiler room and each space in which a part of the oil fuel installation is situated. In addition, there shall be at least one extinguisher of the same description with a capacity of 9 litres (2 gallons) for each burner, provided that the total capacity of the additional extinguisher or extinguishers need not exceed 45 litres (10 gallons) for any one boiler room.
(iii) In each firingspace there shall be a receptacle containing sand, sawdust impregnated with soda, or other approved dry material in such quantity as may be required by the Administration. Alternatively an approved portable extinguisher may be substituted therefor.

 

(h) Firefighting appliances in spaces containing internal combustion type machinery.

Where internal combustion type engines are used, either for main propulsion machinery, or for auxiliary purposes associated with a total power output of not less than 746 kW, a ship of 1 000 tons gross tonnage and upwards shall be provided with the following arrangements:

(i) There shall be one of the fixed arrangements required by subparagraph (g) (i) of this Regulation.
(ii) There shall be in each engine space one approved froth-type extinguisher of not less than 45 litres (10 gallons) capacity or equivalent and also one approved portable froth extinguisher for each 746 kW of engine power output or part thereof; but the total number of portable extinguishers so supplied shall be not less than two and need not exceed six.

 

(i) Firefighting arrangements in spaces containing steam turbines and not requiring any fixed installation.

The Administration shall give special consideration to the fire-extinguishing arrangements to be provided in spaces containing steam turbines which are separated from boiler rooms by watertight bulkheads.

 

(j) Fireman’s outfits and personal equipment.
(i) The ship, whether new or existing, shall carry at least two fireman’s outfits complying with the requirements of Regulation 14 of this Chapter. Furthermore, Administrations may require in large ships additional sets of personal equipment and in tankers and special ships such as factory ships additional firemen’s outfits.
(ii) For each fireman’s outfit which includes a self-contained breathing apparatus as provided in paragraph (b) of Regulation 14 of this Chapter, spare charges shall be carried on a scale approved by the Administration.
(iii) The fireman’s outfits and personal equipment shall be stored so as to be easily accessible and ready for use and, where more than one fireman’s outfit and set of personal equipment are carried, they shall be stored in widely separated positions.