AN INTRODUCTION TO
MARINE FIRE FIGHTING & PORT STATE CONTROL
Of all the disasters that can happen to a vessel at sea, fire must be
near the top of the list. Marine fire accidents are extremely
dangerous, very destructive and very costly. They may take the lives of
the ship's crew or passengers and cause untold damage to the
environment, not to mention the enormous financial loss to the
operating Company.
Ship fire-fighting requires a highly coordinated
response by the crew to control the immediate danger that a fire
presents and the subsequent containment of that situation. They must
react with the precision of a military operation to have any chance of
success.
A ship at sea must be fully self
contained in its fire-fighting abilities.
It must be familiar with specific
marine fire fighting procedures; dedicated protocols that differ vastly
from fires on land.
BLUEBEAST Provides Maximum
Protection Using Maximum Preparation
Land based fire fighters know that ship fires are
extremely difficult to handle because of their complexity and
difficulty of access. Fires account for about one third of all
fatalities due to accidents on board container vessels. Engine room
fires are a major contributor, closely followed by fires in cargo
areas. However, not all incidents of fire are published today
and we are only shown the tip of the iceberg. Many ship
owners have become complacent and believe
that a high safety record will guarantee
their insurance cover but this is no longer the
case.
The number of container vessels and the amount of
containers carried are growing constantly. Vessels are becoming larger
and their cargo is quite often worth more than the vessel itself.
Insurers are becoming increasingly concerned with these
risks and it is important that all personnel are well trained in
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS and are fully aware of the consequences if they
don't.
This presents a major challenge for every Operator
and requires a dedicated marine fire-fighting system - unlike anything
else. Ship fire fighting has
become an essential component of life aboard today's vessels including
Cruise Ships, Ro Ro's, Cargo vessels, Bulk Carriers, Tankers and
Container ships. With
stringent legislation, International Port State safety Inspections have
detained an ever increasing number of vessels due to inadequate
Emergency Preparedness Standards. Marine fire training and
safety is part of the mandatory requirements for all seafarers.
Powers to Detain
In any case where a ship does not comply with the
requirements of the Port State Authority Regulations, the ship shall be
liable to be detained and section 284 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995
(which relates to the detention of a ship) shall have effect in
relation to that ship; "The Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection) (Large
Ships) Regulations 1998". Fire-fighting, lifesaving appliances and
associated drills account for approximately one third of the overall
deficiencies identified on detained vessels.
Ship
Risk Profile
New
Inspection Regime (NIR) expected in force early 2011, developed by PMOU
Task Force 31
Instead of a target factor, every ship has a risk profile based on:
- TYPE
- AGE
- FLAG
- RO (Recognised Organisation)
- COMPANY
- DETENTIONS
- DEFICIENCIES
A ship will be either HIGH, STANDARD or LOW RISK and will receive
periodic inspections every 5-6 months (High risk), every 10-12,months
(Standard risk) and every 24-36 months (Low risk).
When the "inspection window" opens it is PRIORITY II and it may be
inspected.
When the "inspection window" is closed it is PRIORITY I and it must be
inspected.
LOW
RISK
Flag: White list and IMO Audit
Age: Less than 12 years
Class: Recognised Organisation (RO) with high performance and
recognised by EU
Company: High performance (new directive)
Deficiencies: Five or less within a 36 month period
Detentions: None
HIGH
RISK
Flag: Black list
Age: More than 12 years
Class: Substandard Organisation with low performance
Company: Low performance (new directive)
Detentions: One within the previous 36 months
A vessel inspection will be determined on a points system; for example
a high risk vessel such as an Oil Tanker will receive 2 points, if it
is blacklisted it will receive a further 2 points, if it is owned by a
Company with a poor performance it will receive a further 2 points, if
it has had a detention within the last 36 months another 2 points and 1
point if it is over 12 years old.
Five
weighting points or more will class the vessel as HIGH RISK
An
ISM deficiency will carry 5 points.
EXPANDED
INSPECTIONS
Periodic inspections will be expanded for all
high
risk vessels (e.g. tankers, bulk carriers) aged 12 years or
over.
Additional inspections may be expanded according to the professional
judgement of the PSCO.
Expanded checks; overall condition in a list of 14 risk areas e.g.
weather tightness, emergency systems, living conditions PLUS a list of
specified items for each ship type.
EMSA
- Port State Control Officer Training throughout Europe (Directive
95/21)
International Officers will be trained to coordinate and regulate the
same standards and expectations with regards to equipment and ISM
requirements.
STCW Revisions
MSC 81 (2006) agrees comprehensive review of STCW Convention and Code.
It will address inconsistencies, outdated provisions, MSC
instructions,clarifications and interpretations already issued and
technological advances. Adoption planned from January 1st 2011
The cost of a
detention or a real fire is catastrophic; failure to prepare is
delaying the inevitable. Secure your future now with
BLUEBEAST MARINE FIRE
MANAGEMENT
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