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

Openings in “A” Class divisions

76.—(1) Where an “A” Class division is pierced for the passage of electric cables, pipes, trunks, girders, or beams or for other purposes, the arrangements shall be such that the effectiveness of the division in resisting fire is not thereby impaired.

(2) The construction of all doors and frames in “A” Class bulkheads, with the means of securing the doors when closed, shall provide resistance to fire as well as to the passage of smoke and flame, as far as is reasonably practicable, equivalent to that of the bulkheads in which the doors are situated.

(3) Every door in an “A” Class bulkhead shall be so constructed that it can be opened and closed by one person from either side of the division.

(4) Every door in an “A” Class bulkhead which forms part of a stairway enclosure or lift trunk serving accommodation spaces, service spaces or control stations and every door in a casing of a machinery space of Category A shall be self-closing.

(5) Hold-back arrangements may be fitted to doors to which paragraph (4) refers provided that such arrangements—

(a) have remote release fittings of a type which in the event of disruption of the control system will automatically close the doors; and

(b) will permit each door to be closed manually.

(6) Doors fitted in boundary bulkheads of machinery spaces of Category A shall be reasonably gastight and self-closing.

(7) Watertight doors need not be insulated.

(8) Where ventilation ducts pass through “A” Class divisions the requirements of Schedule 3 in Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1668 shall apply.