FIRE
SAFETY
Revised
SOLAS Chapter II-2
A
revision to SOLAS Chapter II-2 was adopted by resolution MSC.99(73),.with
an entry into force date of 1 July 2002. The revised Chapter incorporates
previous amendments, recommendations and standards approved by IMO.
However, it no longer includes testing procedures and engineering
specifications for fire detection, extinction and alarm systems
and equipment. These are now contained in the 1996 Fire Test Procedures
(FTP) Code contained in resolution MSC.61(67) and in the new Fire
Safety Systems (FSS) Code, resolution MSC.98(73).
Revised
Chapter II-2 retains the current requirements for structural fire
integrity, fire detection, extinction and alarm systems according
to the type of ship and the space at risk. It applies to new ships,
built on/after 1 July 2002 and, except for the few regulations which
currently are applicable to existing ships (e.g., halon prohibition,
dead end corridor limits, passenger ship fire fighting upgrades),
it does not contain any new retroactive requirements for existing
ships.
Fire
Safety Engineering Design
A
new section has been included in Chapter II-2 which provides general
methodology for assessing alternative fire safety designs and arrangements.
Guidelines, referred to by the regulations, were developed at the
45th Session of the Fire Protection SubCommittee held
on 8-12 January 2001.
These
draft Guidelines, which are scheduled for approval at MSC 74 in
May 2001, recommend the extent of engineering analysis required
to be carried out to adequately cover sources of ignition and fire
growth, smoke and toxicity potential according to the type of space
and ship under evaluation. After performing a qualitative analysis
of the design concept, a much more rigorous quantitative analysis
is performed using criteria developed based on performance standards
contained in SOLAS (e.g., no temperature rise more than 180 o
C above ambient temperature during a 60 minute fire exposure).
Applied safety factors are to consider crew and passenger survivability,
system/equipment damage and environmental impact.
Two
example standards are provided: as The SFPE Engineering Guide
to Performance-Based Fire Protection Analysis and Design of Buildings,
Society of Fire Protection Engineers and National Fire Protection
Association, 1999 or ISO/TR 13387-1 through 13387-8, "Fire
safety engineering".
Results
of the quantitative analysis should include: design fire scenarios,
critical assumptions, magnitude and composition of fire load, engineering
judgements, test data, calculation procedures, sensitivity analysis
and time lines.
Guidelines
for calculating fireloads for accommodation spaces, service spaces
and control stations in all types of ships are also included. WP/19
Fire
Safety Systems Code
The
MSC adopted resolution MSC.98(73) which contains the Code on Fire
Safety Systems (FSS). The FSS Code will become mandatory on 1 July
2002, when it is also expected that the new Chapter II-2 will come
into force. The FSS Code extracts from SOLAS Chapter II-2 the performance
standards and engineering specifications for fire extinguishing
(gas, foam and spray) systems, smoke detection and alarm systems,
fire fighting personnel protection, inert gas systems and means
of escape. 3.64
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