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

PART III—FIRE PREVENTION AND FIRE APPLIANCES

Ships Other Than Passenger Ships and Tankers

Ships of class vii of under 500 tons

17.—(1) This regulation applies to ships of Class VII of under 500 tons.

(2) (a) Every such ship shall be provided with appliances in accordance with this regulation whereby at least one jet of water as required by these Regulations can reach any part of the ship normally accessible to the passenger or crew while the ship is being navigated, and any store room and any part of any cargo space when empty.

(b)Every such ship shall be provided with at least one fire pump operated by power which shall be capable of delivering at least one jet of water from any fire hydrant, hose and nozzle provided in the ship, and which shall comply with the requirements of regulation 30.

(c)In every such ship fitted with oil-fired boilers or internal combustion type propulsion machinery there shall be provided in a position outside the spaces containing such boilers or machinery an additional fire pump and its source of power and sea connection. If such a pump is operated by power it shall comply with the requirements of subparagraph (b) and if it is manually operated it shall be provided with a hose and a 10 millimetre diameter nozzle through which it shall be capable of producing a jet of water having a throw of not less than 6 metres which can be directed on to any part of the ship.

(d)In every such ship there shall be provided a fire main, water service pipes and hydrants which shall comply with the requirements of regulation 31 and at least three fire hoses and nozzles which shall comply with regulation 32.

(3) Every such ship shall be provided with at least three portable fire extinguishers so situated as to be readily available for use in the accommodation and service spaces.

(4) In every ship to which this regulation applies there shall be provided for the protection of any space containing any oil-fired boiler, oil fuel settling tank or oil-fuel unit, at least one of the fire-extinguishing systems referred to in regulation 8.

(5) In addition to the requirements of paragraph (4) there shall be provided—

(a)in each boiler room and in each space which contains any part of any oil fuel installation, at least two portable fire extinguishers suitable for extinguishing oil fires;

(b)in each firing space, a receptacle containing at least 0.3 cubic metre of sand or other dry material suitable for extinguishing oil fires together with a scoop for its distribution, or alternatively, an additional portable fire extinguisher suitable for extinguishing oil fires.

(6) In every ship to which this regulation applies there shall be provided in any space containing internal combustion type machinery either—

(a)one portable fire extinguisher suitable for extinguishing oil fires for each 74.6 kilowatts or part thereof of such machinery provided that no more than seven such extinguishers shall be required in any one space; or

(b)two portable extinguishers suitable for extinguishing oil fires together with either—

(i)one foam fire extinguisher of at least 45 litres capacity; or

(ii)one carbon dioxide fire extinguisher of at least 16 kilogrammes capacity.

(7) Every ship to which this regulation applies shall be provided with at least one fireman’s outfit which shall comply with the requirements of regulation 37 and which shall contain a breathing apparatus of the air-hose type.

SHIPS OF CLASS VII(A)Ships of under 500 tons

18.  Every ship of Class VII(A) of less than 500 tons shall, if not subject to the Fishing Vessels (Safety Provisions) Rules 1975(1) carry the fire appliances appropriate to its length which are required to be carried by vessels of that length which are subject to those Rules.

SHIPS OF CLASS VIIIShips of 150 tons or over but under 500 tons

19.  Regulations 17 shall apply to ships of Class VIII of 150 tons or over but under 500 tons as it applies to ships of Class VII of under 500 tons.

Ships of under 150 tons

20.—(1) This regulation applies to ships of Class VIII of under 150 tons.

(2) (a) Regulation 17(2) shall apply to every such ship of 21.34 metres in length or over, as it applies to ships of Class VII of under 500 tons except that the fire pump required by regulation 17(2)(b) may be driven by the main engine.

(b)Every ship of less than 21.34 metres in length shall be provided in a position outside the machinery spaces with either a power or a hand operated pump with a permanent sea connection, a hose with a 10 millimetre diameter nozzle capable of producing a jet of water having a throw of not less than 6 metres which can be directed onto any part of the ship, and in addition a spray nozzle suitable for use with the hose, provided that in any ship of less than 9 metres in length or in any open ship of less than 21.34 metres in length, two fire buckets one of which shall be fitted with a lanyard may be substituted for such equipment but such buckets shall not be required in addition to buckets provided in compliance with paragraph (3).

(3) Every such ship shall be provided with portable fire extinguishers or with fire buckets in accordance with the following Table—

Length of ShipMinimum Number Extinguishers or Buckets
Under 21.34 metres2
21.34 metres or over3
  • When fire buckets are provided at least one shall be fitted with a lanyard.

(4) In addition to the requirements of paragraph (3) every such ship which is fitted with oil-fired boilers or internal combustion type propulsion machinery shall be provided with portable fire extinguishers suitable for extinguishing oil fires in accordance with the following Table—

Length of ShipMinimum Number of Extinguishers
Under 6 metres1
6 metres or over2

(5) Every such ship of 9 metres in length or over which is fitted with oil-fired boilers or in combustion type propulsion machinery shall, if it is mainly or wholly constructed of wood and is decked in way of the machinery space, be provided with means outside the machinery space for rapidly injecting into the machinery space a quantity of fire smothering gas equivalent to at least 60 per cent of the gross volume of that space, or where the machinery space is bounded by steel bulkheads, equivalent to at least 40 per cent of the gross volume of the space; provided that in any ship to which this regulation applies of less than 21.34 metres in length, there may be substituted a water-spraying system supplied from a hand pump and a permanent sea connection situated outside the machinery space which may be the hand pump and the sea connection referred to in paragraph (2)(b). Such a pump shall be connected by fixed piping to a sufficient number of water-spraying nozzles suitably sited in the machinery space and capable of extinguishing oil fires.

(6) Every such ship being a fully-decked ship of 21.34 metres in length or over shall be provided with a fireman’s axe.

SHIPS OF CLASS VIII(A), IX AND IX(A)Ships of under 500 tons

21.—(1) Regulation 17 shall apply to ships of Classes VIII(A), IX and IX(A) of 150 tons of over but under 500 tons as it applies to ships of Class VII of under 500 tons.

(2) Regulation 20 shall apply to ship of Classes VIII(A), IX and IX(A) of under 150 tons as it applies to ships of Class VIII of under 150 tons.

(3) The Secretary of State may exempt any ship of Classes VIII(A) and IX(A) and any ship of Class IX which is under 500 tons or which is not engaged on an international voyage, from any of the requirements of these Regulations.

SHIPS OF CLASS XIShips of under 500 tons

22.—(1) Regulation 17 shall apply to ships of Class XI of 150 tons or over but under 500 tons as it applies to ships of Class VII of under 500 tons.

(2) Regulation 20 shall apply to ships of Class Xi of under 150 tons as it applies to ships of Class VIII of under 150 tons.

(3) The Secretary of State may exempt any ship of Class XI from any of the requirements of these Regulations.

SHIPS OF CLASS XIIShips of under 500 tons

23.—(1) Regulation 17 shall apply to ships of Class XII of 150 tons or over but under 500 tons as it applies to ships of Class VII of under 500 tons.

(2) (a) Every ship of Class XII of under 150 tons but of 21.34 metres in length or over shall be provided with appliances in accordance with this regulation whereby at least one jet of water as required by these Regulations can 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.

(b)Every such ship shall be provided with at least one fire pump operated by power which may be driven by the main engine and which shall be capable of delivering at least one jet of water from any fire hydrant, hose and nozzle provided in the ship and which shall comply with the requirements of regulation 30.

(c)In every such ship fitted with oil-fired boilers or internal combustion type propulsion machinery, if the pump required by subparagraph (b) and its source of power and sea connection are not situated outside spaces containing such boilers or machinery, there shall be provided in a position outside such spaces an additional fire pump and its source of power and sea connection. If such a pump is operated by power, it shall comply with the requirements of subparagraph (b), and if it is manually operated it shall be provided with a hose and a 10 millimetre diameter nozzle through which it shall be capable of producing a jet of water having a throw of not less than 6 metres which can be directed on to any part of the ship.

(d)In every such ship there shall be provided a fire main, water service pipes and hydrants which shall comply with the requirements of regulation 31 and at least two fire hoses.

(3) Every ship of Class XII of under 150 tons and of less than 21.34 metres in length shall be provided in a position outside the machinery spaces with either a power or a hand operated pump with a permanent sea connection, a hose with a nozzle at least 6 millimetres in diameter producing a jet of water having a throw of not less than 6 metres which can be directed on to any part of the ship, and in addition a spray nozzle suitable for use with the hose, provided that in any such ship of less than 15 metres in length and in any open ship of less than 21.34 metres in length, two fire buckets one of which shall be fitted with a lanyard may be substituted for such equipment but such buckets shall not be required in addition to buckets provided in compliance with paragraph (4).

(4) Every ship of Class XII of under 150 tons shall be provided with portable fire extinguishers or with fire buckets in accordance with the following Table—

Length of ShipMinimum Number of Extinguishers or Buckets
Under 21.34 metres2
21.34 metres or over3
  • When fire buckets are provided at least one shall be fitted with a lanyard.

(5) In addition to the requirements of paragraph (4) every ship of Class XII of under 150 tons which is fitted with oil-fired boilers or internal combustion type propelling machinery shall be provided with two portable fire extinguishers suitable for extinguishing oil fires.

(6) Every ship of Class XII of under 150 tons being a fully-decked ship of 21.34 metres in length or over shall be provided with a fireman’s axe.

(1)

S.I. 1975/330 to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations.