The Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection: Small Ships) Regulations 1998

Fire main, water service pipes and hydrants

31.—(1) In every ship which is required by these Regulations to be provided with fire pumps operated by power, the diameter of the fire main and of the water service pipes connecting the hydrants thereto shall be sufficient for the effective distribution of the maximum discharge required by these Regulations from—

(a) where only one pump is required by the Regulations, that pump; or

(b) where two such pumps are so required, both pumps operating simultaneously; or

(c) where more than two such pumps are so required, the two largest of such pumps operating simultaneously;

provided that in any ship other than a passenger ship the diameter of the fire main and of the water service pipes shall be required to be sufficient only for the discharge of 140 cubic metres of water per hour.

(2) Any fire pump required to be provided by these Regulations, when discharging the quantity of water required by paragraph (1) through adjacent fire hydrants in any part of the ship from nozzles specified in regulation 32 shall be capable of maintaining the pressures at any hydrant specified in Schedule 7 in Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1665.

(3) (a) Where any ship is required by these Regulations to be provided with appliances capable of producing two jets of water under the conditions required by these Regulations, hydrants sufficient in number shall be so positioned as to enable at least two jets of water, not emanating from the same hydrant, one of which shall be from a single length of hose, to reach any part of the ship normally accessible to the passengers or crew while the ship is being navigated, and to any store room and any part of any cargo space when empty except that in any special category space or ro-ro cargo space two jets shall reach any part of the space, each from a single length of hose. Such hydrants shall be positioned near the accesses to the protected spaces.

(b) Where any ship is required by these Regulations to be provided with appliances capable of producing one jet of water under the conditions required by these Regulations, hydrants sufficient in number shall be so positioned as to enable one jet of water from a single length of hose to reach any part of the ship normally accessible to the passengers or crew while the ship is being navigated and any store room and any part of any cargo space when empty.

(4) The fire main shall comply with the requirements set out in Schedule 7 in Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1665.