Cruise marinas, shipyards or boatyards, floating production storage and offloading facilities all need special fire protection. Why? There is high risk of high value assets, loss of life, demanding emergency evacuation and emergency response in the marinas and offshore operations.
The need for smoke, and fire spread modeling becomes paramount to be able to analyze various scenarios of fire for deployment of technology, and human resources for firefighting operations in marine facilities.
Adequate fire safety equipment, instrumentation, and engineered services are required for protection of life, asset, environment, including operational continuity by avoidance of downtime lost to shutdown of facility during fire outbreak. Engine rooms of marine machineries are protected with aerosol fire suppression systems whether marine production platforms, cargo ships, ferry boats, flotillas, cruise ships, yachts, cargo ships and small boats. Intrinsically safe equipment with low tendency to produce sparks and high temperatures are the best options, while extrinsically safe equipment acts to check process risk thereby reducing fire risks, and hazards to As-Low-As-Reasonably-Possible (ALARP). Pre-engineered fire protection solutions are so effective due the packaged and automated nature of such helps in early fire response.
FIRE PROTECTION TO BE BASED ON SPACE USE, HAZARD CLASS, HAZARD LEVEL, AND TYPE: Gas chambers, turbine enclosures, energy storage, HVAC rooms, and engine rooms are adequately protected with automated carbon dioxide (CO2) fire extinguishing systems and aerosol fire protection systems consisting of aerosol generators. Control rooms, electrical power panel rooms, communication switch rooms, transmission rooms, archives and records, and other areas of sensitive or critical nature are well protected with fire detection, and clean agent fire suppression systems like FM-200, NOVEC-1230, INERGEN. Foam-based fire suppression systems are very suitable for protection of fuel and gas storages. Open areas of marine facilities or marinas are adequately protected with water-based fire protection systems, like sprinklered systems, hose-based systems with siamese (fire department) connections, fire hydrants, hose reel, spray systems or water cannon systems.
The National Fire Protection Association has provisional codes, and standards for design, installation, testing, and maintenance of fire safety systems. Provisions are also made for operational and professional requirements for marine firefighting marine fire safety. Below are some guiding standards:
- NFPA 1925, Standard on Marine Fire-Fighting Vessels.
- NFPA 303, Fire Protection Standard for Marinas and Boatyards.
- NFPA 1005, Standard for Professional Qualifications for Marine Fire Fighting for Land-Based Firefighters.
Equipment for marine fire safety is in most cases – waterproof, waterproof (water resistant), and explosion proof with high reliability, and failsafe capability to be able to withstand any strain caused by conflagrations, and explosions associated with such.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) developed capacity through documented guides and standards for Life and Fire Safety as listed below:
- Fire Safety Systems (FSS) Code, 2015 edition.
- International Code for Application of Fire Test Procedures, 2012 edition.
- Model Course: 1.20 – Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting, 2000 edition.
- Model Course: 2.03- Advanced Training in Fire Fighting, 2000 edition.
- Model Course: 3.05- Survey of Fire Appliances and Provisions, 2004 edition.
- Symbols for Fire Control Plans, 2006 edition.
The fire safety solutions for marinas are to be designed, and installed specifically to various protection areas or spaces based on use of space, hazard type of contents, severity of hazard to increase safety of users, asset, and environment.
SAFETY CONSULTANTS & SOLUTION PROVIDERS LIMITED
