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by katramanos@eshoped.gr
Maintenance and Inspection of Fire protection systems and Appliances
Maintenance, testing and inspections for fire protection systems as well as fire-fighting systems and appliances are required in accordance with SOLAS Chapter II-2/14.2.2 as quoted below.
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- 2.2 Maintenance, testing and inspections
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- 2.2.1 Maintenance, testing and inspections shall be carried out based on the guidelines developed by the Organization (Refer to MSC.1/Circ.1432 as amended, including the amendments by MSC.1/Circ.1516) and in a manner having due regard to ensuring the reliability of fire-fighting systems and appliances.
- 2.2.2 The maintenance plan shall be kept on board the ship and shall be available for inspection whenever required by the Administration.
The above maintenance plan onboard is to be prepared based on the instructions given by the flag administration as well as MSC.1/Circ.1432 and MSC.1/Circ.1516 as amended. Maintenance, testing and inspections of fire protection systems and fire-fighting systems as well as appliances are to be implemented based on the above plan.
In this connection, Table-1 gives an overview of maintenance, testing and inspections for main fire-fighting systems based on MSC.1/Circ.1432 and MSC.1/Circ.1516, as amended, as well as other applicable reference guidelines, while Table-2 summarizes instructions from different flag State Administrations.
ClassNK surveyors confirm that the maintenance, testing and inspections of fire protection systems as well as fire-fighting systems and appliances on board ship are carried out as part of the safety equipment survey, in accordance with the maintenance plan based on Flag Administration instructions.
Remarks
In principle, the inspection interval for new built ships carried out by shipyard staff or crew starts from delivery of a vessel, while inspections for such things as replaced items or hydrostatic tests starts from either the date when such an inspection was last carried out or from the date of manufacture. In case there are related instructions by administrations, the instruction should be followed.
ClassNK views MSC.1/Circ.1432 and MSC.1/Circ.1516, as amended, as minimum guidelines on which such inspection are to be based, In case there are any instructions by the manufacture, those instruction are to be followed, as well.
For any questions about the above, please contact:
NIPPON KAIJI KYOKAI (ClassNK)
Survey Department, Administration Center, Head Office
Address: 3-3 Kioi-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0094, JapanTel.: +81-3-5226-2027
Fax: +81-3-5226-2029
email: svd@classnk.or.jp
Table-1 Overview of maintenance, testing and inspections of main fire-fighting systems based on MSC.1/Circ.1432 and MSC.1/Circ.1516 as amended, as well as other relevant guidelines.
| Equipment | Interval | Outline of Requirement | Guideline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portable fire extinguishers | Annually | Inspections in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, etc. | Res.A.951(23), para.9.1 |
| 5-yearly | Discharged as part of fire drills, etc. | Res.A.951(23), para.9.1.1 | |
| 10-yearly | Hydrostatic test | Res.A.951(23), para.9.1.2 | |
| Wheeled (mobile) fire extinguishers | Monthly | Verification in place, etc. | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para.5.9 |
| Annually | Inspections in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions, etc. | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para.7.12 | |
| 5-yearly | Visual inspection, etc. | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para.9.6 | |
| 10-yearly | Hydrostatic test | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para.10.5 | |
| Portable foam applicator units | Monthly | Inspections in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions, etc. | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para.5.8 |
| Annually | foam control test, etc. | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para.7.11 | |
| Fixed CO2 fire-extinguishing systems | Monthly | Verification of each part, etc. | MSC.1/Circ.1318, para.4 |
| Annually | Visual inspection, etc. | MSC.1/Circ.1318, para.5 | |
| 2.5-yearly | Verification of contents, etc. | MSC.1/Circ.1318, para.6.1 | |
| 5-yearly | Operation test, etc. | MSC.1/Circ.1318, para.6.2 | |
| 10-yearly | Hydrostatic test, etc. | MSC.1/Circ.1318, para.6.1 | |
| Fixed dry chemical powder systems | Monthly | Verification of valves and gauges, etc. | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para.5.6 |
| Annually | Visual inspection, etc. | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para.7.9 | |
| 2-yearly | Testing a sample of dry chemical powder, etc. | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para.8.2 | |
| 10-yearly | Hydrostatic test or Non-destructive test | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para.10.3 | |
| Fixed foam fire-extinguishing systems | Monthly | Verification of valves and gauges, etc. | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para.5.3 |
| Quarterly | Verification of quantity of foam concentrate | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para.6.2 | |
| Annually | Functional test, and taking sample, etc. | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para.7.4 | |
| 5-yearly | Inspection of each part | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para.9.2 | |
| SCBAs | Weekly | Examination of cylinder gauges | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para.4.5 |
| Annually | Checking of serviceable condition, etc. | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para.7.8.2 | |
| 5-yearly | Hydrostatic test | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para.9.4 | |
| EEBD | Weekly | Examination of cylinder gauges | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para.4.5 |
| Annually | Inspections in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions, etc. | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para.7.8.3 | |
| — | Hydrostatic test | IACS Rec.88 | |
| Water mist, water spray and sprinkler systems | Weekly | Visual inspection, etc. | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para.4.7 |
| Monthly | Verification of valves and gauges, etc. | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para.5.4 | |
| Quarterly | Assessment of system water quality | MSC.1/Circ.1516, para 6.5 | |
| Annually | Blowing air, blowing water test, etc. | MSC.1/Circ.1516, para 7.5 | |
| 5-yearly | Internal inspection of all control/section valves, etc. | MSC.1/Circ.1516, para 9.3 | |
| 10-yearly | Hydrostatic test for gas and water pressure cylinders. | MSC.1/Circ.1432, para.10.2 |
Table-2 Instructions from Flag State Administrations
| Flag | Instruction | Updated date | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antigua & Barbuda | CIRCULAR 2012-011 | Oct. 2012 | Special instruction referring to MSC.1/Circ.1432. |
| Australia | Marine Order 15 | 21 May 2014 | Reference made to MSC.1/Circ.1432. |
| Bahamas | INFORMATION BULLETIN No.97 | 13 Feb. 2015 | Special instruction referring to MSC.1/Circ.1432. |
| Bahrain | Directive No.SOLAS/12 | 29 Dec. 2016 | Special instruction. |
| Bermuda | BERMUDA SHIPPING NOTICE 2018-021 | 01 Jun. 2018 | Special instruction referring to MSC.1/Circ.1432 and MSC.1/Circ.1516. |
| BERMUDA SHIPPING NOTICE 2018-027 | 01 Jun. 2018 | (Additional instruction for fixed CO2 fire extinguishing system.) | |
| BERMUDA SHIPPING NOTICE 2018-028 | 01 Jun. 2018 | (Additional instruction for portable fire extinguishers.) | |
| Cayman Islands | SHIPPING NOTICE 01/2014 | 16 Jan. 2014 | Reference made to MSC.1/Circ.1432. |
| Cook Islands | Circular 55/2013 | 10 Apr. 2015 | Reference made to MSC.1/Circ.1432. |
| Cyprus | Circular No. 14/2013 | 30 May 2013 | Special instruction referring to MSC.1/Circ.1432. |
| Dominica | CD-MSC 33-01 Rev01 | 18 Apr. 2008 | Special instruction referring to MSC.1/Circ.850. |
| Gibraltar | Shipping Guidance Notice-046 | 01 Oct. 2013 | MSC.1/Circ.1432 is referred. |
| Shipping Guidance Notice-028 |
Dec. 2011 | Special instruction for SCBA cylinder and portable/fixed fire-fighting systems. | |
| Hong Kong | Merchant Shipping Information Note (MSIN) No.14/2016 | 18 Jan. 2016 | Reference made to MSC.1/Circ.1432 and MSC.1/Circ.1516. |
| Isle of Man | Isle of Man Ship Registry Manx Shipping Notice 057 | 18 Jan. 2016 | Special instruction referring to MSC.1/Circ.1432 and MSC.1/Circ.1516. |
| Japan | Applied our rule part R 14.2.2. | 30 June 2016 | To be based on MSC.1/Circ.1432 and MSC.1/Circ.1516. |
| Kiribati | Marine Circular 16/2012 | 06 Mar. 2012 | Special instruction. |
| Liberia | FIR-001 Rev.6/12 | 01 Jun. 2012 | Special instruction referring to MSC.1/Circ.850. |
| Malaysia | MSN 11/2009 | 03 Sep. 2009 | Special instruction. |
| Malta | Technical Notice SLS.6 Rev.3 | 11 Sep. 2015 | Special instruction referring to MSC.1/Circ.1432 and MSC.1/Circ.1516. |
| Marshall Islands | Marine Notice No.2-011-14 Rev. June/2016 | Jun. 2016 | Special instruction referring to MSC.1/Circ.1432 and MSC.1/Circ.1516. |
| Myanmar | Directive (5/2016) | 21 Nov. 2016 | Reference made to MSC.1/Circ.1432 and SS3656 for portable fire extinguishers. |
| Oman | B09 B10 |
Special instruction. | |
| Panama | Merchant Marine Circular No.281 | May 2019 | Special instruction referring to MSC.1/Circ.1432. |
| Singapore | SHIPPING CIRCULAR TO SHIPOWNERS NO. 19 OF 2013 | 26 Sep. 2013 | Reference made to MSC.1/Circ.1432. |
| SURVEY CIRCULAR 3 OF 2014 | 05 Mar. 2014 | (Additional instruction for fixed CO2 fire extinguishing system.) | |
| Switzerland | Circular No CH50 | Special instruction referring to MSC.1/Circ.1432. | |
| Swiss Maritime Navigation Office SMNO | 01 Nov. 2016 | ||
| Tuvalu | MC-7/2011/1 | Jun. 2018 | Reference made to MSC.1/Circ.1432 and MSC.1/Circ.1516. |
| MC-17/2011/1 | Apr. 2018 | Instruction for systems using halons and other ozone depleting substances. | |
| UK | Instructions for the Guidance of Surveyors – Fire protection arrangement (MSIS 12) | – | Special instruction. |
| UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency | – | ||
| MGN 258 (M+F) | Jul. 2003 | ||
| MGN 276 (M+F) | Jun. 2004 | ||
| MGN 355(M) | Nov. 2007 | ||
| MGN 374 (M+F) | Aug. 2008 | ||
| USA | The CFRs are mandatory while MSC.1/Circ.1432 is a guideline that provides just the minimum level of maintenance. | – | MSC.1/Circ.1432 is guidelines and provides just the minimum level of maintenance. |
| Vanuatu | FLEET / SAFETY LETTER 2016-May-25 | 25 May 2016 | Special instruction. |
| Vietnam | Technical Information 023TI.E/12TB | 20 July 2012 | Reference made to MSC.1/Circ.1432. |
IMO Circular referred
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- Resolution A.951(23)
IMPROVED GUIDELINES FOR MARINE PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
- Resolution A.951(23)
