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Marine Incidents

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1. Halon will have or will soon have the installation fixed and portable fire appliances and fire changed to a Halon substitute as the old systems fighters equipment CARGO PLAN SS MV ATLAS VOYAGE No 1 will not be able to be serviced Some ships will FROM Bavekok Mana Swear DTAKARTER CoLomeo have supplemented their Halon systems with water means of access to the various decks and TO Lonte Hohe aeons es mist systems compartments ae oe Boor ey Ee cos bacco aM g Other inert gases the ventilation system including particulars SS 557 of the master fan controls g onoo With the gradual withdrawal of halons substitute Paares a Reon gases have emerged to produce a similar effect position of dampers and identification a eee reer e rae numbers of the ventilation fans serving S ba ROMS ozme jee eee GravEx40 Inergen and Argonite are some in cur each section of the ship So aa tees Lon oon rent use The installation of these systems will be Hue TEAK Aas 5127 eee a aor similar to CO and Halon but they all take up more the location of the international shore Moa eor i a o storage space than Halon connection in eal laan Rice bacs D a ser kal ci oot i h Dry powder systems This is required to be kept up to date and there t 0 a Tie 27 tnam Tod 87 Tid HOT should be a duplicate of the plan permanently Dry powder in
2. _ el r boiler room No 2 hold i No 1 noi ver SLUT ee Mwinyi i TE A ve ss iii T Ie Watertight to After Shaft oor Weel I o Fore peak tunnel bulkheads peak Bilge Cargo space sounding E Insulated cargo space pipe ET Water balest tanks E Feed water tanks Fresh water tanks Limber HE Diesel oil tanks peates Oil fueltanks _ Bilge esi Coffer dams bottom Figure 1 J Section through a cargo ship with shelter and tween deck showing the lay out of holds machinery spaces etc carry stores water ballast or occasionally fresh water supplies On some modern ships the super structure may be of lightweight aluminium alloy rather than steel but generally this material is more likely to be found on the smaller fast passen ger craft such as catamarans or Royal Naval ves sels Plastics are being used more for a wide range of purposes structural features fittings and in accommodation areas decoration Such materials can create special firefighting problems the plas tics for instance can produce smoke and toxic fumes rapidly and in large quantities 1 2 General Cargo Ships a Ship decks and holds Arrangement of decks and holds Figure 1 1 shows a typical general cargo ship designed to carry the largest possible number of 2 Fire Service Manual goods The holds numbered from bow to stern may be as many as eight but more usually five for vessels engaged deep sea or
3. Water meter EN QE ATA Ne A HAN ld Type of adaptor used on inlet to thermometer REBA RUKN Sl A SR tas Foam making Ld E aa Cl an ect r E aA ma y ay S mmm n TSIN ERES A FREON MENNIR NOTA ae RSA oo compound pa ites ise TANIS Gar SAY heat oe ANSAN if ae Siphon Fop oet POA GR a FONE z pipe Sg i RESIS NANEN PCR AS ASS S ee A A Cea Low pressure KAENA ENVEIA ER J siphon outlet RR Ue NTS GUR W A Sits x SEU uF at Hara UG ACTIN Sa ehh eu Pressure WAN IES Np RSh A ad sind Rare a as SM Wat e r z f WRENN R E gauge trol viket Water and foam NO ESAS AERAR Como vave E compound mixture A H G i kasa tpp ote gt 1a 1 Brisa a on z T S 2 eae ams SS Pons prorat er Fata eee Rad 3 Water from pumps J eal pee ae Fen Venturi fitting Fire extinguishing installation Inset left thermometer tubes used as additional inlets Inset right details of the adaptor necessary for fitting to the thermometer tubes Inset right An adaptor for fitting to a thermometer tube Watertight door manual closing device Fire amp wash deck pipe line Boers S T D n o k Figure 2 2 Diagrammatic view of pump operated type of mechanical foam installation J oe a 5 er a S 3 Ea pe Tr a3 HH if O x TE O E
4. Ballast pump about ee iisi 250 tonne per hour Bilge pump about 60 E onno per hour gt i mum Discharge overboard Machinery space tins a 2 ee ee ee ee ee er ana a After peak ballast tank Fire Service Manual Sea suction inlet 2 mam Discharge overboard a Sea suction inlet Tanks 1 5 are formed by watertight bulkheads in the double bottom d Other ship features 1 Deep tanks A deep tank may replace the lower hold immedi ately in front of and sometimes behind the machinery space It may carry water ballast oil or cargo See also subsection 4 below The deep tank hatch cover is bolted on and can be removed if necessary but access can also be obtained through a manhole cover 2 Machinery spaces These basically consist of engine and boiler rooms shut off from the holds by watertight bulkheads Modern ships have additional areas containing such items as pumps electrical switchboards switch gear etc The engine room may on older ships be separated from the boiler room by a bulk head but this will be pierced by an opening which may not be watertight The spaces have their own ventilation On modern ships they are usually on the stern in older ships at the centre They can be reached by ladder from an upper deck these have a steep pitch and could be greasy Although very few dry cargo ships are steam dri ven about 7 of tankers gas tankers cruise and con
5. Crown Copyright 1999 Published with the permission of the Home Office on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty s Stationery Office Applications for reproduction should be made in writing to The Copyright Unit Her Majesty s Stationery Office St Clements House 2 16 Colegate Norwich NR3 1BQ ISBN O 11 341231 2 Cover photograph Northern Ireland Fire Brigade Half title page photograph Northern Ireland Fire Brigade Printed in the United Kingdom for The Stationery Office J84831 6 99 C50 5673 Marine Incidents Preface This book Fire Service Manual Volume 2 Fire Service Operations Marine Incidents supersedes Part 2 of book 4 of the Manual of Firemanship The guidance provided replaces and updates as appropriate information previously published on this subject Previous editions of the Manual have described fireboats and seamanship but as there are now very few such craft in use with Brigades these sub jects are no longer included Each Brigade with a boat must devise its own Specific training and pro cedures arrange liaison with relevant authorities and ensure compliance with appropriate local national and international rules of operation Some Brigades have arrangements with tug com panies to use their tugs for firefighting and this aspect is briefly covered Safety 1s of paramount importance The need for the consideration and implementation of suitable measures as outlined in the Fire Serv
6. fire detection systems sprinkler installations Photo 2 3 Cabinet containing Fire wallet Plans AA Fire Service Manual Warne dicen 45 q Marine Incidents Chapter Chapter 3 Factors relevant to Marine Incidents 3 1 Legislation The Fire Services Act 1947 gives the appropriate local councils as the fire authorities certain powers and requires them to carry out certain functions However remember the writ of fire authorities has limits a Firefighting at sea In England and Wales the off shore boundary of a local authority is governed generally by Section 72 of the Local Government Act 1972 This provides that every accretion from the sea whether natural or artificial and any part of the sea shore to the low water mark shall be annexed to and incorpo rated with the area of the authority which it adjoins low water mark for this purpose is nor mally taken to mean low water at ordinary tides However in many areas local legislation defines particular parts of the boundary In Scotland there is no equivalent general statutory provision There a fire authority boundary may extend to the three mile limit of territorial water and on an estuary it is generally held to extend to the median line between the estuarial shores again the boundary may be subject to local legislation Where a fire authority attends a fire at sea outside its area it does so in the exercise of its power under
7. Establishment of controls and communications Attendance of interpreters where there are language difficulties Control of shipping movements closure of port moving of endangered vessels provision of tug facilities Rescue operations where life is involved means of escape from berths Provision of craft to ferry firefighters to ships at anchor O Equipment for ambulance service movement of casualties Provision of a series of predetermined embarking and landing points such that the most appropriate can be selected in any particular incident Facilities for alerting all marine risks especially if tide water flow 1s moving the risk through the area Provision of predetermined beaching points clear of shipping lanes and convenient for the emergency services Identification of dangerous substances decontamination etc Salvage operations including the contain ment and subsequent recovery or dispersal of oil chemical or radioactive spillage The plan must be practised regularly modified in the light of the practice and constantly up dated d Controls There is usually the need at an incident in a large port harbour or dock area for there to be one main control point Some ports use the Harbour Master s office but others have different arrange ments for example at Milford Haven where the area runs for several miles the main control ts sited at a jetty near the i
8. Methods of withdrawing personnel quickly from below decks especially BA wearers should be set up from the start of firefighting and all firefighters instructed accordingly A decision may be made to beach the vessel There could be a conflict of opinions here between the Master pilot harbour Master tug skipper agents etc as to the best location for this The brigade officer must however be ready to point out that to Marine Incidents 99 beach the vessel may result in the firefighting becoming more difficult and may result in a total loss anyway e g where at low tide even fire tugs or fireboats cannot get alongside and land fire appliances cannot approach near enough on shore Here again the fire authority s arguments and the final decision reached should be recorded by the incident commander because such evidence may be necessary later The Master of the ship may wish to enter port to get the problem resolved e g to unload so as to get access to the cargo involved The decision as to whether he may enter a particular port and if so where he may berth is the responsibility of the Harbour Master who will probably make this decision after consultation with the brigade to ensure that any special facilities required are available any isolation necessary is possible e g in a chemical incident and the ship can be berthed in a position readily accessible to the brigade by land and may ask the bri
9. High Expansion Foam is another option but again there might be a problem because of the lightness of the foam in getting the foam to the area involved In a developing fire the heated convec lt q gT f ne Te tion currents will act against the foam reaching the fire area The fire may have been tackled by the ship s fire party before the arrival of the Brigade using foam AFFF or water spray from a fixed installation Firefighters should consider using the same medi um as further topping up or continuation rather than any change of strategy It may be necessary to vary the foam ratios if it becomes evident that the foam is not reaching the fire area WATER The use of water spray branches is often the most effective Turning several spray jets into the engine casing above the machinery space has a considerable cooling effect and creates a blanket of steam The up draught is lessened and the vaporisation rate of the oil reduced so that a clos er attack with branches becomes possible Water Spray 1s particularly useful for cooling when there is a thin layer of unfired oil in contact with hot plates e g on the top of a tank since otherwise radiant or conducted heat might fire the oil The value of diffuser branches is however reduced where intervening pipework inhibits their full use SELF SMOTHERING If the application of extinguishing media is not practicable firefighters may be able to star
10. Some cargoes although not chemically dangerous pose a risk to the safety of the ship and indirectly to life because they affect the ship s stability by moving about or by swelling as a result of the absorption of water Conversely the thoughtless use of a fire extinguishing medium or the wrong medium can cause unnecessary damage to cargo Following a Dynamic Risk Assessment it may be considered necessary for firefighters wearing BA and using guide lines to enter the holds to tackle the seat of the fire BA controls should be set up as necessary on different decks The entry points at each deck level are usually the best positions for these controls A large amount of BA will always be needed first crews will probably only be able to lay out guide lines before having to retreat Photo 5 9 oe e Pe k l m Photo 5 9 Making entry into hold Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service Marine Incidents 75 The main access gangway to the ship is often adja cent to the accommodation block and therefore does not provide convenient access to fires else where such as ship s holds Brigade ladders could be used as an alternative Photo 5 10 However this could be a problem with the rise and fall of the tide or if the vessel subsequently takes on a list Photo s 4 1 4 2 and 4 3 When the fire has been found it should of course be attacked at once as delay apart from causing additional damage
11. The Regulations specify certain requirements that these facilities must meet In addition to the numerous portable fire extin guishers and water hydrants there will be a system of foam generation with monitors covering the tops of the tanks There may also be fixed water spray protection on the front of the accommoda tion block which will have passive protection and fixed fire protection of the pump room and machinery spaces 2 3 Fire Detection and Alarm Systems The systems can be of various types Their layout will be adapted to suit the needs of each particular ship Fire detection systems are fitted in accordance with the current Firefighting Rules for passenger and cargo ships Such systems are particularly important on passenger ships and those sailing with unmanned engine rooms Fire detection sys tems will be fitted with audible and visual warn ings with indication as to the area affected shown on an annunciator panel which will usually be located on the navigation bridge with an addition al panel elsewhere The actual detector heads may be either heat or smoke detectors depending on the risk area being covered 2 4 Fixed Fire Protection Firefighters attending ship fires will find various installations on board These will vary according to the medium they are designed to handle They will often have instructions for their use displayed on them in some cases this is compulsory It is probably only rarely that fir
12. Details of any dangerous goods stowed near the fire anything likely to explode react violently or produce toxic gases Access to the fire Whether on board firefighting systems are operating or operable Whether the main and auxiliary engines are operable Whether mechanical ventilation systems are operating or operable Usually the shipboard installations will be in operation When this is not the case the best course will usually be for the Brigade to employ its own equipment using any helpful facilities on the ship as necessary The ship s personnel will 68 Fire Service Manual Photo 5 2 Liaison with Ship s officers Merseyside Fire Brigade usually be able to assist by operating doors pumps valves etc and acting as guides If venti lation equipment is running when the Brigade arrives the Incident Commander wll need to con sult with the Master or his engineer as to whether this should be turned off Modern ships make increasing use of electronic apparatus which can bring problems in the event of a fire For example there is increasing use of computers for cargo manifests A fire could pre vent a read out being obtained but there is often an alternative source at the shipping company s headquarters This however could be anywhere in the world A Dynamic Risk Assessment must be carried out in order to plan the way forward i e whether to adopt Offensive or Defemsive tactic
13. Excellent Chief and Assistant Chief Fire Officers Association The Fire Service College Fire Brigades Union Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service Kent Fire Brigade Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade Grampian Fire Brigade Northern Ireland Fire Brigade Humberside Fire Brigade Merseyside Fire Brigade Devon Fire Brigade Essex Fire Brigade Marine Incidents 129 Published by The Stationery Office and available from The Publications Centre mail telephone and fax orders only PO Box 276 London SW 8 5DT General enquiries Telephone orders 0870 600 5522 Fax orders 0870 600 5533 The Stationery Office Bookshops 123 Kingsway London WC2B 6PQ 020 72426393 Fax 020 7242 6394 68 69 Bull Street Birmingham B4 6AD 0121 236 9696 Fax 0121 236 9699 33 Wine Street Bristol BS1 2BQ 01179264306 Fax 01179294515 9 21 Princess Street Manchester M60 8AS 01618347201 Fax 0161 833 0634 16 Arthur Street Belfast BT1 4GD 028 9023 8451 Fax 028 9023 5401 The Stationery Office Oriel Bookshop 18 19 High Street Cardiff CF1 2BZ 029 2039 5548 Fax 029 2038 4347 71 Lothian Road Edinburgh EH3 9A7 0131 2284181 Fax 0131 622 7017 The Stationery Office s Accredited Agents see Yellow Pages 15 ISBN 0 11 341231 2 780113 4123
14. a good understanding of the ship s own fire suppression systems and water main arrangement should be part of the instruction A knowledge of the factors which affect a ships stability together with practical application on a simple model would confirm this aspect of ship firefighting One of the most important stabil ity considerations to be included is the effect of free surface water b Training for Off Shore Firefighting Personnel employed for firefighting at sea must be confident in the water able to swim and should not be prone to sea sickness The deployment of per sonnel in firefighting at sea will depend upon local circumstances Whatever local arrangements are made speed of response to assemble firefighters and equipment ready to be transported to sea 1s very important Communications can be a problem on a ship Valuable experience can be gained in carrying out communication exercises aboard ships to identify the possible prob lems and identify alternative arrangements Regular practice with the use of thermal imaging camera equipment should take place particularly during BA training All fire brigade personnel undertaking firefighting at sea must be properly trained and equipped for the purpose The training should be part of routine training for those involved and should include regular off shore training exercises in varying conditions so that those unsuited to off shore oper ations will be ide
15. design layout etc vary from ship to ship Part of the superstructure will comprise the bridge the platform from which the vessel is steered navigated and controlled the remainder may be used for cargo stores machin ery or accommodation b Hatches In the deck over each hold is a large opening or hatchway to give access for loading and unload ing sometimes there is more than one These openings usually extend across the deck for about one third of the beam but may be much wider Tween decks have similar openings usually in a direct vertical line All are protected by hatch cov ers On the upper deck these are usually of a watertight steel construction with hydraulic or electric operation There are various designs Figure 1 3 Tween deck hatch covers may be similarly operated but flush fitting as in type 2 of Figure 1 3 or may consist of separate steel sec tions like the individual leaves of types 3 and 4 The sections are usually flush to the deck and are not self powered but have to be lifted by cranes Ali hatch covers are designed to take the weight of TWEEN DECK SHIP Tween deck Sheiter deck WaVe UM ee SHELTER DECK SHIP WITH TWEEN DECK cargo on the upper deck this may consist of con tainers stacked up to four high Heat can distort the metal of hydraulically mechanically electrically operated hatch covers and make them inoperable in such cases they must be manually forced c Means o
16. in the case of a call to a foreign ship at sea In addition to the basic information required by the MSDGR there will in some cases be fuller details available e g IMO emergency schedules see Section 4 below Where goods are shipped in road tankers UKTHIS or ADR labels may be found Firefighters should remember however that the emergency action Hazchem code shown on UKTHIS labels is designed for road incidents and may not be appro priate on a ship b In port areas The DSHR will normally require the Master of a vessel bringing dangerous goods into a port area to provide the Harbour Master and berth operator in advance with information about the nature of the hazard the proposed Code of Practice recommends that this information should include the name the substance identification number where available and the quantity of each item Where 250kg or more of a dangerous substance or any quantity of explosives or dangerous bulk goods is being loaded into or unloaded from a ship or stored before loading or after unloading the berth inspec tor will be required to ensure that information as to the identity quantity and location of the substance is immediately available to the emergency services In the case of bulk cargoes he will also have to include information about the nature of the hazard and the emergency action that should be taken It could be advantageous for the brigade to arrange for the port authorities t
17. mainly be found within the port and dock areas Narrow boats are largely steel hulled and other smaller powered craft can be constructed of GRP However it should be noted that most pleasure craft will have one or more LPG cylinders aboard and this coupled with relatively light construction plastic foam furnishing and in many cases petrol as the fuel will result quite often in a fierce fire The risks involved are often further exacerbated by the congregation of these vessels together in relatively confined spaces such as marinas See also Chapter 9 Section 1 See Photo 8 2 There is not much flow in a canal and any spillage of flammable substances e g petrol will therefore remain close to the affected craft In a river how ever the dispersion downstream may be rapid and Photo 8 2 Pleasure narrow boats Courtesy of British Waterways Photolibrary Marine Incidents 107 some fire cover will need to be deployed in that direction Firefighters should also bear in mind the danger of pollution and any such incidents should be reported immediately to the Environmental Agency in the case of rivers or the local Environmental Health department for canals The narrow corridors of canals and rivers may prove to be difficult for gaining access via the tow ing path in some areas Brigades should familiarise themselves with the waterways in their area and establish alternative routes wherever necessary Emergency action plans ar
18. steam by separating it off with moisture free gas Although some chemical carriers have several pump rooms an extension of the conventional tanker the more popular trend is to do away with cargo pump rooms Each tank would be fitted with a permanent submersible pump which would have its own separate discharge line and manifold which greatly reduces the chance of cargo contam ination Where pump rooms are found they should be so arranged as to ensure unrestricted passage and access to cargo control valves to permit ease of 22 Fire Service Manual movement to a person wearing protective equip ment Access ladders should not be vertical and individual platforms should be fitted with guard rails The entries to void spaces cargo tanks and other spaces in the cargo tank area should like wise be accessible for a person wearing BA and there should be direct access to the cargo tanks from the open deck b Gas carriers Gas carriers most commonly carry liquefied petroleum gas LPG but some carry liquefied natural gas LNG or chemical gases such as ammonia They are normally of an all aft design but the number position and form of their tanks vary Photo 1 10 They can be a integral tanks forming an essential part of the vessel s hull b membrane tanks consisting of a thin meta lin ing or two linings with insulation between them Supported by the insulating material within the ship s hull c semi membrane ta
19. teams who may be activated at any time of the day or night From information they already hold on ships the team can feed information into their com puters and come back with answers on stress and stability Not being involved on the ground they are able to provide sound solutions quickly However there may be occasions when there are no ship s officers present or where communica Chapter tion with them is hindered by language difficulties and no other qualified persons may be available In any case firefighters should have a knowledge of the main principles involved so that they under stand what is likely to happen during firefighting operations and what factors they must keep in mind It could take less than an hour for a ship s stability to be endangered by the addition of water if the situation is not handled correctly This chap ter therefore sets out certain basic facts concerning stability brigades should ensure that all officers receive further instruction in the various principles and procedures as necessary Longitudinal Stability The ship s longitudinal stability will need to be borne in mind especially if a large amount of water has to be introduced at one end of the ship or there may be an excessive trim with the ship down by the head or stern needing deeper water to remain afloat Transverse Stability The difference between heeling and listing should be understood A list is the transverse inclina
20. Fire Protection Although foreign ships may comply with the SOLAS requirements the rules themselves apply only to UK registered ships For these the rules rep resent the legal minimum provision Some ships may go further they may for example comply with later SOLAS requirements these mostly just up date the earlier ones and make them more specific 2 2 Requirements The exact provisions of the rules relating to fire protection are very detailed and vary according to the class and size of ship The rules do not apply to vessels of very low tonnage a Passenger ships The following are among the more important general requirements These are minimum only and higher demands may be made on large or specialised ships Marine Incidents 35 There should be a fire patrol system man ual alarms throughout the passenger and crew spaces for the patrol use and a fire detection system in areas which the patrol cannot reach There should also be auto matic fire alarm and detection systems in all accommodation and service spaces with certain exceptions where there is no substantial fire risk or where there ts a smothering gas or similar installation The systems should give both an audible and a visible alarm The indicators may be on the navigation bridge at stations having communication with the bridge or distrib uted throughout the ship They must show the location of the fire which has activated the system
21. H a b 4 p 5 b 4 p 4 p 4 b 4 4F 4 pe ee pean To A Wheelhouse H Upper fore peak a B Accommodation J Lower deep tank i i C Engine room K Lower fore peak tank ae D L Deep tank E Fo c sle stores M Passage F N Upper wing tank ballast G Upper deep tank 0 Lower wing tank fuel oil Deadweight tonnage 28 000 tonne Capacity 816 12m containers No 5 hold No 4 hold No 2 hold No 1 hold Figure 1 8 One type of container ship showing the general arrangement of holds and container stowage j 9 Photo 1 1 Container ship also showing dockside facilities HMFSI ident 11 10 Fire Service Manual Marine Incidents 13 Nal ane Marine Incidents i E a susan O55 Ei oT A aA Te re wv ny a HONG KONG Sar a Th na vad pns TE s pi Tr Photo 1 4 Container ship being loaded Essex Fire and Rescue Service Photo 1 3 Container handling Essex Fire and Rescue Service ne i eT CORROSIVE 30 480 kgs 67 200 Ibs Photo 1 2 Container markings Essex Fire and Rescue Service Fire Service Manual 2 Be eee en a ay rys n a pa i TE 7 PA Ar Pies r a T x rpi ra Photo 1 6 Container tank Essex Fire and Rescue Service 14 Fire Service Manual Figure 1 10 Typical skew ramp for loading vehicles onto a Ro Ro Some container ships are b
22. Notification of incidents The fact that the Master of a vessel reports a fire explosion or other emergency at sea does not nec essarily mean that he requires assistance He may decide to tackle the cause of the emergency him self bearing in mind the possibility of salvage claims see Chapter 3 Section 6 Fire authorities will make their own arrangements locally with the Coastguard as to what is reported to them and how but should ensure that their assistance has been expressly requested by the owners agents or Master before attending the incident Also when the commander of the first attendance or recon naissance arrives he should confirm with the ship s Master that the assistance of the brigade is still required If the Master has requested help from the brigade he should obviously co operate and listen to advice from the incident commander c Sea transport Regardless of the mode of transport used for initial attendance or reconnaissance whether by sea or air arrangements should be made to have a vessel standing by for safety purposes throughout the incident Ideally a vessel used to transport person nel or equipment to the vessel in distress should remain on standby at the incident in case rapid evacuation without helicopter assistance is required or a firefighter falls overboard If that vessel cannot remain on station at the incident then arrangements must be made for another ves sel to stand by for safety p
23. Section 3 1 d of the Fire Services Act 1947 as amended by the Merchant Shipping and Maritime Security Act 1997 see Chapter 6 A member of a brigade engaged in off shore firefighting operations would be on duty while so engaged and therefore subject to discipline and other fire service regulations b Firefighting in ports docks or harbour areas The Fire Services Act 1947 applies throughout a fire authority s area with few exceptions Among those exceptions however are docks which are private property and HM Dockyards and there are also other peculiar areas Nevertheless although the powers of access and firefighting of a fire authority do not operate in these localities there are very few where there is not complete agree ment for them to exercise these powers and cover the area It is fairly obvious that where there is an impediment to the powers of a fire brigade the fire authority will have come to an agreement with the relevant organisation as to the exact position of the fire brigade in the event of a fire in the area of that organisation c Special services In the case of a special service incident e g a spillage or leakage of a dangerous substance the powers of a brigade are more limited At a port the Harbour Master will be formally in charge but he may wish to delegate some operational responsi bility to the brigade this should be decided upon during the preplanning see Section 3 At sea
24. There should be a facility for directing at least two jets of water into any passenger or crew space while the ship is under way and into any Cargo space or storeroom The ship should have not fewer than two fire pumps 3 if over 4000 tonnes and there should be provision to ensure that a fire in any one compartment cannot put all pumps out of action There should be hydrants in all designated spaces The system should func tion when all watertight and bulkhead doors are Closed There should be portable extinguishers in all service accommodation and control spaces If the ship is 1 000 tonne or over it should have a fixed fire smothering installation gas or steam to protect certain spaces Machinery spaces should have special fire protection water spray smothering gas or foam installation foam or other portable extinguishers sand according to the type of machinery When oil can drain from the boiler room to the engine room they must be treated as a single space A minimum of two firefighters outfits smoke helmet mask or BA safety lamp axe plus 2 per 80 metre length of passen ger spaces should be carried in widely Fire Service Manual separated locations At least two should include BA fitted with air hose The ship must carry an international shore connection able to be fitted to its port or starboard side b Cargo ships Cargo ships again according to size should meet requirements similar to th
25. Transport have a Marine Pollution Control Unit which is available to provide assis tance It can be contacted on a 24 hour basis through any of the Coastguard regional control rooms see Chapter 3 Section 5 Marine Incidents 103 Marine Incidents Chapter 8 Inland Waterways 8 1 General Of the estimated 4 800 km of inland waterways in the UK about 1500 km are used for commercial transport in which some 60 million tonne of assort ed goods is estimated to be moved each year Photo 8 1 British Waterways BW is UK s largest navigation authority and manages 3 200 km 2000 miles of canals and inland waterways nationally including a number of major rivers such as the Severn Gloucestershire Ouse Yorkshire and Trent Nottinghamshire However much of the commercial tonnage 1s carried on non BW waterways controlled by port authorities local government or other bodies such as the Environment Agency or the Broads Authority Nevertheless there are a number of large commercial vessels on BW waterways which can carry up to 700 tonnes these include for example small cargo coasters Figure 8 1 self propelled tank barges Figure 8 2 small parcel tankers as well as specials designed to carry chlorine caustic soda sulphuric acid and other bulk cargoes Figure 8 3 The bulk of the craft on inland waterways are the 25 000 or so pleasure craft which range in size from 20 metre narrow boats to 2 5 metr
26. a ferry is on fire in port all pas sengers will be evacuated as soon as possible Some modern vessels are being fitted with escape chutes similar in design to those fitted to large Marine Incidents TI aircraft but in any case firefighters could encounter a large number of people leaving the ship as they arrive Every assistance should be given to ensure their safe disembarkation The pos sibility of some people attempting to return to their cars should be considered c Access Methods of access to vehicle decks are described in Chapter 1 Firefighters should note that it may be necessary to wedge open some heavy sliding doors to avoid having hose lines cut and retreat avenues obstructed There are alternative entrances to machinery spaces e g enclosed ladders passing up through the central section to the top decks d Fixed firefighting installations The ship s Master may have operated fixed fire fighting installations to try to contain the fire and he will probably be able to tell the incident com mander its approximate location Arrangements should be made so that when firefighters are in a position to tackle the incident and if considered necessary any fixed installations operating can be shut down This applies to fires in the accommo dation and machinery spaces as well as those in cargo areas Regular 1 i d visits should be arranged by Brigades to all types of ships using ports in their area to ensu
27. and Admiralty representa tives and promulgated as instructions to both ser vices The following extract of the advice is applic able to both RN ships submarines and to vessels of the Royal Fleet Auxiliaries in ports and dockyards a Responsibility The responsibility for control and command of any firefighting operations aboard RN RFA vessels varies as to the state of operational readiness of such vessels at the time of the incident Generally the vessels will be in commission with an operational crew on board or in an unmanned refit state afloat or in dry dock not in commission in the hands of contractors In the unmanned refit state the responsibility for the vessel rests with the contractor carrying out the refit work on the ship In this state any fire occur ring will generally result in the Fire Brigade being 82 Fire Service Manual called and the incident commander liaising with the main contractor s representative as to safety aspects aboard the vessel The Fire Brigade inci dent commander will be responsible for any fire fighting but he should liaise with contractors and dockyard representatives Whenever RN service personnel are standing by a vessel being refitted under Contract they are to be allowed during emergencies to carry out those tasks and duties associated with damage control which are appropriate to their training and normal employment These duties will have been defined and agree
28. araa ee os Photo 9 6 Type of vessel converted to floating restaurant club HMFSI A e 1 12 Fire Service Manual Marine Incidents l 13 Marine Incidents Chapter Chapter 10 Training and Safety 10 1 Managing Marine Incident Safety Serious marine incidents are a rare occurrence Even those brigades which provide cover for ship fires have a limited opportunity to build up experi ence of such incidents As a result operational personnel are themselves unlikely to gain very much experience in ship firefighting It is therefore crucial that brigades have systems in place to ensure the safety of personnel who are to be committed to this infrequent and hazardous activity The Key Risk control measures that brigades will need to include to ensure firefighting safety must be pre planned and will include Risk assessment An assessment will need to be made that takes account of the both the likelihood and the severity of any specific marine incidents For fixed Special risks for example docks and offshore facilities site specific risk assessments may be required For shipping it is likely that a more generic approach would be suitable Liaison Brigades will need to liaise with a number of external agencies both nationally and locally the agencies will differ depending upon the location and type of incident involved Pre determined attendance of resources Having established the likely
29. be sure that any residual heat and smoke will not be carried to unaffected parts of the vessel that the venting system components or any trunking are not damaged that he has sufficient personnel to properly monitor the venting that the evacuation of a hot and smoky atmosphere will not induce a draught sufficient to cause any re ignition Venting a fire on a ship in order to release heat and smoke may not be possible except perhaps for ships holds which are open to the main deck or machinery spaces through flue stacks Much will depend on the type of cargo as to whether venting will assist firefighting or cause the fire to develop to unmanageable proportions If after consultation with the ship s officers the incident commander has any doubts it will be better not to ventilate The option might then be to starve the fire of oxygen and place firefighters in position for boundary cooling 5 6 General Cargo Ships a Types of cargo A large proportion of cargo is of course now car ried in container and other specialist ships Nevertheless there are still general cargo ships of the traditional kind which could carry a variety of large single units packaged goods and bulk car goes Firefighters must remember that cargoes can be very varied some are inherently dangerous while others may become so in their reaction to heat or water The question of dangerous cargoes is dealt with more fully in Chapter 7
30. before the event as the aircraft captain will need this information to decide how many firefighters and what equipment can be transported at one time Figure 6 1 Personnel who are likely to be taken to ships at sea via this mode of transport will need to be trained in the safety procedures associated with helicopter flying before any actual flying is undertaken Marine Incidents 93 Operational Procedure Sea King Aircraft DROP 1 Initial Individual Drops 4 x personnel c w Radio Pack set DROP 2 No 1 Container 4 x 25 m x 45 mm hose l Dividing Breeching alloy 2 Variable Branches AWG type I Suction Strainer alloy l First Aid Kit 2 Handlamps l Ships Adaptor FI to N and S fitting Food water sea sickness tablets DROP 3 No 2 Container 1 BA set c w 1800 litre cylinder 2 BA cylinders 1800 litre l BA servicing kit comprising O ring washers anti dim disinfectant cloths D S U key 24 torch batteries Bardic torch key 1 BA entry board DROP 4 No 3 Container l BA set cw 1800 litre cylinder 2 BA cylinders 1800 litre 1 x 30 m GP line 2 handlamps 2 axes small DROP 5 LPP pump cw slings suction wrenches etc DROP 6 3 x 3m x 100 mm suction hose alloy l x GP line 15 mm Petrol 1 x 18 litre e Communications Experiences by brigades who have undertaken firefighting operations at sea have shown that unless there is very detailed pre planning commu nications can be very d
31. devices for making holes in containers and injecting water spray or CO gt 2 A container could also contain solids which would melt and run in a fire These are classed as flam mable solids in the International Maritime Dangerous Goods code IMDG Container ship cargoes could also include large numbers of tanks i e large volumes of liquids Usually certain parts of a ship are designated dangerous cargo areas and containers holding dangerous goods will be located in these areas e g an upper deck or a particular hold Details of any such goods and their location should be readi ly available see Chapter 7 gt Apart from the special problems of dangerous goods any fire involving containers will be very difficult to deal with since the tight storage means that access for firefighting will be extremely diffi cult if not impossible and there could be prob lems in moving containers Even with the neces sary dockside equipment available the process will be time consuming particularly if fire hinders the equipment s use If available modern equip ment for unloading containers through the bow see Chapter 1 could be helpful Among other problems on container ships are the following Ventilation could be difficult depending on the location of the container involved If the guide rails see Chapter 1 become distorted by heat it will be very difficult to remove the containers It is therefore important to co
32. direct route involves firefighters having to suffer too much heat it may be possible to approach the fire from the deck below this is more likely in accommoda tion areas rather than ships holds d Application of extinguishing media The choice of media is very important and will be the decision of the incident commander He should take into account the factors mentioned in Chapters 2 4 and 7 as well as the availability of particular media at that time and place and any advice from the ship s officers 5 3 Use of Water a By branches An attack on the seat of the fire as quickly as pos sible is likely to provide the best chance of rapid Marine Incidents 11 extinguishment and minimal water damage If pos sible therefore water should be applied from within using hand held branches fresh water should be used 1f possible to avoid contamination of the ship s equipment or cargo by polluted dock water BA teams should enter with communica tions equipment and guides lines followed by charged lines of hose Careful supervision of BA will be essential and circumstances e g excessive heat may make reduced time limits necessary Firefighters should realise however that condi tions within the ship may not be as bad as the ini tial out rush of hot gases and smoke might suggest Photo 5 8 Because steel structures are good conductors of heat boundary cooling is of tremendous impor tance in ship fires Co
33. in relevant structures The information contained within this manual provides firefighters with guidance relating to dealing with marine incidents The information will also help brigades to preplan their organisa tional arrangements which will ensure so far as is reasonably practical the safety of operational Marine Incidents l 15 crews who have to deal with such unusual and arduous conditions Safe systems of work Safety procedures applied to normal land based incidents will generally continue to apply but additional factors need to be considered when training and dealing with ship incidents These will include m Personnel should always wear approved lifejackets when using vessels such as tugs or launches to go out to and boarding moored vessels and also when aboard the ship This will not be possible when wear ing BA and officers should bear this in mind in controlling movement aboard ships z Exercises in loading equipment on and off tugs and launches boarding ships etc will provide invaluable experience for firefighters E Actual progress down an escape ladder and through a shaft tunnel and engine room will give firefighters more confidence in their ability to tackle an incident E Unless a ship is very small laying guide lines coloured tape as opposed to a BA guide line where BA is used to the fire area is always a good idea especially on board passenger ships where even without smoke firef
34. locks weirs and major bridges local mooring facilities marinas hire boat bases and trip boat operators means of access to waterway tunnels towing path access points Because of the variance in areas of controlling authorities there may be different arrangements for conveying dangerous goods calling the brigade transferring of cargoes storage and transport etc Brigades should establish contacts with such authorities and visit wharves and dock areas ves sels and liaise with the owners harbourmasters and berthing agents to pre plan for any emergen cies BW have their own emergency action plans in place and these will have been consulted with local brigades It may be appropriate in some cases to carry out table top emergency exercises in con junction with those parties likely to be involves in an incident e g BW local authorities dock and harbour authorities Environmental Agency etc Marine Incidents Chapter Chapter 9 Other Marine Risks Whilst ships ports docks and inland waters represent the larger commercial risks to which firefighters are likely to be called there are other water borne risks associated with coasts rivers and lakes which are worthy of consideration in this part of the Manual 9 1 Yachts Marinas and Boat Yards In the past 30 years there has been a tremendous growth in the number of people messing about in boats During this period the number and size of both sailing
35. may seem a good idea to lower the centre of gravity but will initially cause a loss in stability due to the introduction of free surface liquid Filling up slack tanks low down in the ship to remove free surface may be a good tactic When a compartment is partially filled and the ship has a list or loll the surface of the liquid may not extend the whole width of the compartment so the Photo 4 2 Ship taking on list during firefighting Northern Ireland Fire Brigade Marine Incidents 65 a Photo 4 3 Final list angle Vessel was restored after fire Northern freland Fire Brigade actual loss of stability is not as bad as theory would predict However the ship s officers advice should be taken 4 10 Other Considerations Stability Officers should also bear in mind that certain types of ships have very little freeboard and even a Slight settlement or inclination could bring the main deck under water In such cases they should be prepared to check that all air pipes hatches doors etc are closed or protected to avoid uncontrolled flooding Checks must be made of all potential openings in the hull near the waterline In particular all Shel doors and portholes should be examined In RO RO vessels loading door apertures should be 66 Fire Service Manual checked to ensure that they are properly sealed unless it is considered safe to use them for access On very small vessels care mus
36. more inert gas is required Inert gas installations include means of indicating such information as the pressure temperature and oxygen content of the gas in the inert gas main They also include alarms to warn of dangerous conditions in the system and automatic shut downs when certain pre determined safety limits are reached Halons No new Halon installation will be found in ships built after the signing of the Montreal protocol and ships which had previously been fitted with Gas relief valve Pia Oil supply iliCooling Se e M ie inal JT UH Air valve Control panel Q Oil valve Air pipe Combustion jene chamber Y Jya Cooling 3 water aischarge interlock Eon oil water Figure 2 5 Diagram of an inert gas generator Figure 2 6 High efficiency scrubber for a ship s inert gas system Usually found on deck aft near the accommodation Manway gt J Clean Inert Gas Exit Demister yl REL EEH R R IR A A po eat ete OIA ets 8 ate eae Crate Ke SSS BOO COOK sete Pete E Water Inlet Impingement Plate Stages Humidifying Sprays Gas Inlet J Sea Water Drain Submerged Gas Entry Seal Marine Incidents 43
37. nature of any incident or type of vessel involved the brigade will need to consider the level of response that would be appropriate This will include the provision of specialist personnel appliances and equipment Local procedures and collaboration Significant marine incidents will require that all personnel and external organisations are aware of local arrangements for access information etc Collaboration with other brigades is likely to be required to ensure the availability of adequate resources Specialist operational information Brigades need to ensure as far as 1s reasonably practical that suitable and sufficient information relating to the hazards risks and control measures is available to crews at the time of an incident This may be achieved in a variety of ways but the information must be clear concise current and relevant The information may be of a generic or specific nature Training Personnel who are likely to attend marine inci dents either at sea or in port will require specialist training The training will be based on the outcome of the risk assessment and to a great extent the information contained within this manual Learning outcomes will be both technical and practical and will be designed to satisfy the identi fied training needs of the individuals involved Wherever possible practical training should take place on the risk itself to enable fire fighters to gain experience moving around
38. need for either dilution or containment of contaminants and seek advice as soon as possible In the marine environment the controlling legisla tion is the Merchant Shipping Prevention and Control of Pollution Order 1990 and its subordi nate Jegislation the Merchant Shipping Dangerous Goods and Marine Pollutants Regulations 1997 See Chapter 7 Figure 3 2 The Marine Pollutant Symbol 52 Fire Service Manual MARINE POLLUTANT Marine pollutants are classified by different criteria to the classification of environmental pol lutants The international anti marine pollution conventions are embodied in the International Maritime Dangerous goods IMDG Code which identifies those substances which should be classed as such The Maritime Coastguard Agency MCA are in charge of the pollution aspects of incidents In general marine pollutants can be jettisoned if necessary for the safety of the ship and its crew but the MCA must be immediately informed via the nearest coast radio station as outlined in the reporting procedures in the supplement to IMDG Code Marine pollutants will carry the marine pollutant mark Figure 3 2 and the ship and the agents will have a plan showing where they are stowed on board 3 6 Salvage Salvage is subject to maritime legislation which confers on those persons who voluntarily save some description of maritime property from dan ger at sea a right of salvage remuneration which is
39. produced by water or other liquid in a compartment which is not completely full The liquid will move across the compartment when the ship heels or lists Some idea of the effect of free surface on the sta bility of a ship can be experienced by suspending a weight of about 1 kilogram on string from the end of a 1 metre long stick held nearly upright but inclined away from the body sufficiently to avoid Sea level injury from the swinging load Now sway your body left and right as though you are on the deck of a rolling ship and see what effect the moving weight has this is similar to liquid moving about in a rolling ship Better still get a square plastic sandwich box and float it on water put some solid weights in the bottom of it try to roll it to one side and you will see that it is stable Now gradually pour water in to the sandwich box and see the effect on the stability as you incline it from side to side Repeat the experiment with more or less solid weights Marine Incidents 59 When a ship board crane picks up a load the load is applied to the ship at the top of the crane even though it is suspended on a wire much lower down The ship s centre of gravity will move up towards the added weight and if the ship had a small GM to begin with she may become unstable and go to an angle of loll As the ship rolls towards its angle of loll the load will swing out towards the low side making the ship roll even furthe
40. senior officer should be sent out to the stricken vessel This can be done whilst equip ment and personnel are being assembled at embarkation points During the approach to the vessel it is well worth taking particular note of any points covered below which may not be so obvious once aboard the vessel Photo 6 7 Any informa tion noted on the approach together with situation found on board could be radioed back to brigade Such information is likely to be invaluable in assessing the necessary response Photo 6 7 Reconnaissance on approach to hovercraft exercise Kent Fire Brigade Marine Incidents 97 The information could include such items as Precise location of the incident Fire situation e g what part s of the ship are involved whether it is spreading Name of the vessel and its owner or agents Type of vessel and tonnage Whether crewed or not Stability situation and amount of freeboard Whether the ship s pumps and firefighting equipment are usable Whether fire tugs could be used What special equipment is required e g HEF ejector pumps Manpower required especially for BA Weather situation and sea state Could equipment be air lifted Any problems likely to be encountered in getting alongside stricken vessel to unload men and equipment The commander of the reconnaissance group may find that the Master has already taken some steps to control the incident himself e g rigging ho
41. the deck below Safety Of Life At Sea The side of a vessel on the right of a person looking forward The deck up to which watertight bulkheads must extend Marine Incidents 125 Stem Stern Superstructure Top sides Trim Trimming hatch Tween deck Tunnel Escape Under way Up take Ventilation Weather deck Weather side or Windward side Wing tank 126 Fire Service Manual The vertical continuation of the keel at the bows The rear end of a ship The parts of a ship above the uppermost continuous deck The sides of a vessel between the water line and main deck The angle of a ship s fore and aft horizontal plane to the surface of the water A small opening sometimes found in the far corners of tween decks away from the main hatches On a cargo ship any deck between the upper deck and lower hold A vertical means of escape from the shaft tunnel usually at the after end on an all aft ship without a tunnel there will still be a protected means of escape from the bottom of the engine room A ship which is not made fast to the shore at anchor or aground is under way Flue taking exhaust gases from engines and discharging to open air Natural or mechanical means of supplying fresh air to an interior part of a vessel An open continuous deck The side of a ship towards the wind A tank high up on the side of a ship Further Reading Fire Service Guides to Health and Safety V
42. therefore check the area around and above and below the fire stripping away panelling and cooling down as necessary Stability is always a factor in ship fires but can cause special problems when water is introduced high up in the accommodation of a large passenger ship The free surface effect of water see Chapter 4 Marine Incidents 8 1 is the main danger especially where it lies in large areas such as the public rooms Public rooms can also cause other problems because of their elaborate furnishings and fittings access through them can be made difficult by the layout of furniture The often luxunous accommodation in cabins may be readily flammable and the situation can be com plicated by the use of materials such as foam rubber in mattresses and plastic surfaces which can pro duce vast amounts of toxic smoke increasing the risk of early flashover within compartments In a small cabin fire furniture should be left in the cabin so as not to impede passage in narrow corridors 5 12 Royal Naval Vessels The issue of responsibility in ship firefighting is complex this 1s particularly so with Royal Naval vessels see Chapter 3 A proper understanding between RN and Fire Brigade personnel is essen tial since only this will guarantee effective liaison and co operation necessary In recent years issues which had previously been unclear have been clar ified by discussion between Home Office Local Authority Fire Brigades
43. will lead to rapidly worsening conditions In some cases however conditions will be too severe for firefighters to enter the area involved and the fire will initially have to be fought from above This will be through the hatch by directing a jet or spray downwards across the hold in the direction of the apparent seat of the fire or by the use of Special equipment such as the basement spray the revolving nozzle the cellar pipe or the elbow fog nozzle see Manual Book 2 Part 2 Hatch covers are now usually of metal and hydraulic or electrical in operation although they may have to be forced manually if distorted by heat Some however need a winch or crane to lift them Chapter 1 Firefighters must appreciate that dockside cranes or their operators may not be 76 Fire Service Manual Photo 5 10 Ship alongside dock shows use of ladders Northern Ireland Fire Brigade available and due to the fire the ship s derricks may also be inoperable Firefighters may have to rig their own lifting tackles but this would only be possible on small vessels Hatch covers should not be removed until firefighting equipment is in posi tion and charged b Handling cargo Where it is necessary to move cargo to reach the seat of a fire or to ensure that no fire remains in it firefighters may have to move it themselves but whenever possible should get assistance or at least advice from a skilled stevedore Some brigades a
44. will liaise with the RN ship s officer of the day to determine whether fire brigade personnel are to be retained on standby or to take over fire fighting see Chapter 5 Flag officers command ing Royal Dockyards have good liaison with the Sratiod Roan Pewee O o mia R RUVERSing YARO ey AHARE WHORE SOT WARF T O mer a 30 COLEBROOK ROAD GRANGE ROAD i THE HAR BOUFe Pitot O 4 CI d O pune AL l OD STowd Li BniG 4 Power Sratron B CENTRAL O i Pumping Sites Major Appliances QO Pumping Sites Light Portable Pumps Hydrant and size local fire authority and have agreed to firefighters visiting HM ships to acquaint themselves with the risks and facilities These arrangements do not apply to visiting foreign warships 3 3 Preplanning for Major Incidents a General The potential for a major incident even tn the smaller ports and harbours of the UK appears to be increasing The numbers and size of potentially dangerous cargoes entering and leaving have risen and despite increasing emphasis on safety by organisations such as IMO there can and will be accidents In any dock port or harbour therefore there must be some preplanning for emergencies Figure 3 1 The idea of the plan should be to co ordinate the actions of all appropriate organisations so as to be able to contain and deal eflectively with any a ie
45. yachts and motor cruisers has increased The majority of boats are constructed of glass fibre but steel and timber are still to be found The development of the marina has enabled this growing number of boat owners to find a sheltered berth with easy access to popular sailing areas The number of incidents involving fire on yachts or motor cruisers has not been great but there is Photo 9 1 Yachts at risk by congestion A Mechen the potential for a larger problem where a lot of boats are either moored close together when afloat or laid up ashore during the winter months Photo 9 1 The construction material and con tents of most boats are very combustible and once involved in fire will burn fiercely When afloat yachts and boats will be moored either Ina marina occupying a single berth or sharing a berth alongside another boat Moored away from the shore on a swing ing mooring or moored between mooring piles or buoys Alongside a quay singly or with several other boats alongside Marine Incidents 09 When moored away from the shore there is an obvious access problem for firefighters Brigades will need to make prior arrangements with harbour masters marina managers or boat yards to have access to a boat suitable to transport firefighters with their equipment to a boat on fire It is assumed that such arrangements would only cater for boats less than a quarter of a mile away from
46. 4 i pm PAGE 6146 BIPYRIDIUM PESTICIDES UN 2781 AWAY FROM EMS 14 CBLU 000002 L T REGLONE 6 L OQ amp FOOD 6 1 06 Hie ca AWAY FROM EMS 15 100115 L T HEXAMETHYLENE DIAMINE 3 2 4 1 8 8 05 s ale AWAY FROM EMS 54 010211 L T ACRYLAMIDE RESIDUE L Q amp FOOD 6 1 04 PESTICIDES Gare een AWAY FROM EMS 301 LKY 428 TRL TECHNICAL CONCENTRATE ls L Q amp FOOD 6 106 ETHYLENE GLYCOL MONOETHYL ETHER PAGE 3134 AWAY FROM EMS 302 RT 147 TNK ETHOXOL 4 UN 1171 24 18 3 06 ETHY LENE GLYCOL MONOBUTYL ETHER enag eee AWAY FROM EMS 302 RT 147 TNK BUTYL ETHOXOL r L Q amp FOOD 6 1 01 DICHLORODIFLUOROMETHANE PAGE Ta AWAY FROM EMS 70 3465 L T ARCTON 12 r UN 1 1 3 4 5 8 2 09 PAGE 2045 AWAY FROM EMS 72 3480 L T ARCTON 12 UN 1028 1 3 4 5 8 2 09 Figure 5 1 Typical list of hazardous cargo vehicles on board Norland passenger car ferry b Fires in the holds A fire in a hold can be dealt with in a similar way to an ordinary cargo fire but firefighters will have to pay particular attention to preventing fire spread They should ensure that where ducts pass through bulkheads the dampers are closed and secured and that the ventilating machinery is shut down and they should watch for signs of heat in bulkheads and partitions adjacent to the seat of the fire When the hold has non flammable insulation such as fibreglass and its air ducts can be effec tively shut off an
47. EEE TE sml amp wol Figure 4 9 An example of a stability board used during firefighting operations on board a ship Marine Incidents 63 Photo 4 1 Ship with a fire situation Northern Ireland Fire Brigade 64 significant change in attitude of the ship i e a change in the list or in the draught fore aft or overall Two items not shown in Figure 4 9 are the depth of water and the angle of the bottom under the ship which as mentioned in section 8 are of some significance Obtaining from the ship s officers an assess ment of the amount of water that can safely be put into the section s on fire calculating the approximate time that it will take to reach this limit and informing the officer in charge If necessary assembling crews pumps and equipment to pump out or recycle the water back into the fire Checking on any on board firefighting installations which are in use e g sprin klers spray systems ship s pumps and Fire Service Manual advising the incident commander as to whether any of these should be shut down The incident commander would have to keep all interested organisations informed of the firefighting and stability position and confer with them on action to be taken to keep the ship safe Corrective stability measures should prefer ably be carried out before the ship gets into a critical stability condition Photo s 4 1 4 2 and 4 3 Filling a tank low down in the ship
48. Inductor unit n H F Pressure gauge se J T a A x T S a w Qs Qu S a an a 29 D R Ee p7 T T z heen m 3 hasas 3 ee S wn r Q u RS Fip A S A S ha Ss a I XS cy we S X Operating bar system carryin storage Safety valve Fresh water Water and foam compound mixture Level cock c J Flushing out connection Foam compound Thermometer space deck space Insulated Shelter Inset left Thermometer tubes which can be used as additional inlets Figure 2 1 Diagram of a type of fixed firefighting 4 Figure 2 3 Diagram of lay out of a self contained pressurised mechanical foam installation 40 Fire Service Manual Marine incidents 4 DAET SO Piercing head c a Link fuse et f ee TEED E o ET Aet USS Foam makers 9 el 7 Water and foam Fe an a compound mixture 2 q A Fire risk area Figure 2 4 Diagram of lay out of a pre mixed foam installation e Inert gas There are a number of types of inert gas system varying considerably from one ship to another They are at present mainly confined to ships holds The installations serve as a general protection against the outbreak of fire as well as a means of extinguishing fires that have already started Figure 2 5 shows an example of the combustion c
49. Ro Ro Ships including Ferries 5 9 Insulated Ships 5 10 Tankers 5 11 Passenger Ships 5 12 Royal Naval vessels 5 13 Bulk Chemical carriers 5 14 Gas Carriers 5 15 Fires in Parts of a Ship Chapter 6 Incidents at sea 6 1 Legal Position 6 2 Contingency Plans 6 3 Dealing with the Incident 6 4 Salvage Tugs 6 55 Abandoning Beaching and coming into port 6 6 Sea and Air Sickness Chapter 7 Dangerous Substances on Ships and in Port Areas 7 1 General 7 2 Identification of Hazards 7 3 Segregation of Dangerous Goods 7 4 Emergency arrangements by Port Authorities 7 5 Dealing with the Incident Chapter 8 Inland Waterways 8 1 General 8 2 Dangerous Substances 8 3 Other Hazards 8 4 Brigade Procedures Chapter 9 Other Marine Risks 9 1 Yachts Marinas and Boat Yards 9 2 Historic Ships 9 3 Floating Restaurants etc Chapter 10 Training and Safety 10 1 Managing Marine Incident Safety 10 2 Training vi Fire Service Manual 67 67 67 71 73 74 75 77 77 78 80 81 82 85 86 87 91 91 92 97 99 99 100 101 101 101 102 102 102 105 105 107 107 108 109 109 111 113 115 117 G Glossary of Terms Further Reading Acknowledgements Marine Incidents 121 127 128 vil Marine Incidents Introduction Fires on board ships can be both complex to deal with and at times may test the expertise of fire fighters and their physical endurance Such inci dents almos
50. SC Passenger This type of vessel varies in size from craft capa ble of carrying a few hundred passengers to others with capacity for 1500 passengers and 400 cars or a mixture of cars and large commercial vehicles dangerous cargoes are unlikely to be encountered Typically HSC are constructed from either alu minium or a thin high tensile steel hull with aluminium superstructure being of either a mono or twin hulled form mono hulls may also be fitted with some form of hydrofoil Photo 1 16 Public room on Cruise ship Oriana P amp O Cruises Ltd EEO Photo 1 17 High Speed passenger vessel overtaking a conventional vehicle passenger ferry The public areas are situated on one or two decks and are typically of an open style Cabin space for passengers and crew is very limited on current ves sels but future ships may well have more extensive passenger facilities HSCs are typically operated on the lines of an aircraft with a relatively small crew Photo 1 17 The firefighting philosophy on HSC is to fit sophisticated detection and extinguishing systems together with the use of fire retardant insulation throughout some smaller HSC on specific restricted routes may not be equipped with such high tech provisions HSC are provided with rapid evacuation methods not dissimilar to aircraft d Hovercraft Hovercraft were a British invention and they are now used throughout the world They ride on a cu
51. a single force acting vertically upwards through the centre of buoyancy Figure 4 4 The effect of weight on a ship s centre of gravity 56 Fire Service Manual Marine Incidents 57 Figure 4 5 Ship in equilibrium and the centre of buoyancy acting upwards on the low side together return the ship upright again The further apart the two forces become the greater the turning force to bring the ship upright This is rep resented by GZ in the diagram and is called the righting lever Figure 4 6 Note that a ship could be initially stable when upright and be stable to a small angle of heel or a large angle of heel depend ing on the ship design If G is raised in the ship by adding top weight eventually when the ship is heeled G will be out side B and the two forces will act to increase the heel The ship would be said to be unstable and GZ is now a capsizing lever The value of GZ varies with the angle of heel and this can be plotted on a graph to produce the GZ Curve or Curve of Statical Stability Figure 4 7 4 5 Metacentric Height As can be seen GZ varies with the angle of incli nation and if the ship is not slab sided straight sides it may also vary with the draught or dis placement of the ship Since GZ is variable there is a need for an indication of the ship s ability to return to the upright condition irrespective of these two features This indication is known as
52. achinery is running BA will always be necessary with the emphasis on controls and guide lines In some circumstances the fire can result in a serious risk from radiated and conducted heat It may produce extremely hot working conditions The incident commander must be especially careful to protect personnel from heat exhaustion a very low limit on working time may be necessary When large scale cooling operations are called for firefighters must have regard to the question of stability the use of spray and variable nozzles will help Boiler room fires in particular are hot and diffi cult to contend with Fine judgement is necessary especially in deciding when to ventilate In all machinery space fires it 1s necessary to keep a Marine Incidents 87 check on adjoining compartments materials on the other side of bulkheads can ignite very easily Painted surfaces too rapidly assist fire spread Re ignition is another major risk in machinery spaces because of the numerous hot areas with which oil can come into contact Caution is therefore neces sary even when the fire is apparently out In fighting the fire firefighters must heed any advice given by the ship s engineer To prevent 8 8 Fire Service Manual Photo 5 14 Shows engine shaft Photo 5 15 Shows part of engine the fire from spreading the oil supply should be shut off if at all possible As far as firefighting conditions allow cold jets should not
53. ally from the main deck down and a sun boat games Photo 1 15 Cruise Ship Oriana P amp O Cruises Lid promenade or other deck above deck A and other unlettered decks below those used by the passen gers Advice should be sought to confirm particu lar ships Below the statutory bulkhead deck known as the freeboard deck the hull is divided by watertight fire resisting bulkheads and com partments can be isolated by closing the port and Starboard watertight doors located in each bulk head on each deck The doors can be operated manually from either side or electrically from a master control on the bridge Above the freeboard deck the hull and superstruc ture are divided by non watertight fire zone bulk heads with openings closed by fire doors These TE SERP TERRE PE OLS TEES a I Car we errreero es es dak TURE eT Te eee eee 28 Fire Service Manual Marine Incidents 29 doors are normally open but close automatically in the event of a fire they can be closed mechani cally by the release of a local control There are generally passenger cabins down each side of the ship with a longitudinal corridor inside either further cabins or service spaces such as ven tilation rooms ventilation shafts electrical switch boards passenger service pantries lift shafts offices and diesel machinery uptakes At intervals along the length of the ship will be stair towers These are considered the esca
54. ame time 7 2 Identification of Hazards a On ships The Merchant shipping Dangerous Goods Regulations MSDGR require the shipper to pro vide the ship owner or Master with information as to the nature of any dangerous goods to be carried whether packaged or in bulk In the case of pack aged goods including those carried in containers vehicles or portable tanks such information must include the correct technical name of each sub stance the UN number if one exists the class of hazard the number and type of packages and the total quantity of dangerous goods A ship with packaged dangerous goods on board must carry a manifest or equivalent document stating the name classification and quantity of each item and a record of the location of the goods An example of such a manifest is shown in Figure 5 1 In Marine Incidents 10 1 addition each individual package container etc must be clearly marked with the name of the goods and an indication of the nature of the hazard e g a hazard warning diamond Obviously fire fighters should be able to recognise the marine pollutant mark Figure 3 2 In view of the above requirements the incident commander at an incident on a ship will normally find little or no difficulty in ascertaining details of any dangerous substances from the ship s officers If the ship is in port the port requirements see below will operate in addition Problems might occur however
55. and foam stocks required officers in charge should take into account the likelihood of the first application breaking down due to heat Convection currents could also initially prevent the foam settling and it will be necessary to vary the rate of application and the ratios to make an extra heavy attack in the first 74 Fire Service Manual instance The use of foam may only be an interim measure to enable a penetration with water jets to be made for final extinguishment or in some cases it may be successful without any back up This will depend on the type of material involved 1 e cargo the depth of the fire in it and how long it has been burning In some cases a cargo fire may need several days work before the incident com mander can be sure it is completely extinguished c Use of Inert gas If the ship s services are functional it may be possible to produce inert gas and use the ship s facilities to deliver it to the fire area This option will rely upon the ship s officers to organise and to operate the equipment There are now several inert gas systems which use the combustion products of diesel oil The gas pro duced which 1s heavier than air consists mostly of nitrogen about 85 and carbon dioxide about 15 there may be traces of oxygen unburned hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen The gas is non corrosive and non toxic and does not usually react with the cargo The gas can be produced in a continuous su
56. ane and insulation Profile Figure 1 20 Gas transport using membrane tank system showing type of insulation used around the tank will be machinery spaces on the cargo deck asso ciated with re liquefaction of the cargo All pipe work is on deck on a gas tanker pressure relief valves lead to a riser up the mast Liquefied Natural Gas is not liquefied on board and has to rely on boil off and insulation to keep cold c Combined chemical gas vessels There may be in the future an increasing number of ships having features of both types of vessels mentioned above and designed to carry both chem icals and gases either separately or at the same time Some already in service have very sophisti cated cargo systems and can carry a wide range of both commodities They can accommodate a con siderable spread of cargo pressures specific grav ities and temperatures with facilities for both heat ing and direct vapour or indirect circulating liq uid cooling and extensive cargo tank insulation The tanks are few and relatively large with a small number of hatches Cargo is moved by pumping or by pressurising the tanks with air or nitrogen Particular problems that might occur with these ships are poor ballast capacity decreased stability the absence of a cargo control room and difficul ties with safety valves those for chemicals and those for gases are not interchangeable 1 9 Bulk Carriers General cargo vessels a
57. angerous substances will closely fol low those used at land incidents Incident com manders should remember that expert advice is available from the CIA Chemsafe Department of Transport NAIR etc and should consider invok ing this part of the contingency plan at an early stage The IMO publish emergency schedules giv ing information to Masters about action to be taken at incidents and these could be aboard The circumstances of these incidents vary consid erably but one important factor to be borne in mind is the possibility of explosion Most cargo ships do not have intrinsically safe electrical gear and any movement of electrically operated hatches switching of ventilating systems etc could therefore be dangerous if there is a potentially explosive atmosphere present There are very strict regulations regarding the use of radios near certain types of explosives and the positioning of appliances e g control units must be carefully considered under these circumstances See Fire Service Manual Communications It may be necessary to monitor a vessel by means of explosimeters If a brigade does not have these arrangements may be made to obtain them through the Chemsafe scheme together with personnel trained to use them Brigades should investigate these and other sources of expertise on 24 hour availability Under the MSDGR UK ships and foreign ships loading or unloading within UK waters are sub ject to certain s
58. ars and shops with their associated service areas There may be as many as 1500 people on board The engine space is usually amidships at the lowest level and the normal access to it is via Photo 1 12 RORO Ferry Passenger P amp O Stena Line staircases from the upper decks Engine rooms sometimes have low deckheads because they are below the lowest car deck Some vessels referred to as freight ships are designed to carry heavy goods vehicles only but as the drivers are passen gers these are still classed as passenger vessels Photo s 1 13 and 1 14 However if the number of drivers is limited they are allowed to carry goods of a higher degree of danger than would be normal on a passenger ship Photo 1 J3 RO RO Commercial vehicles Te f _e Ci Photo 1 14 RO RO Commercial vehicles b Passenger cruise ships A large passenger vessel of this sort used for long journeys and cruises can have a crew of as many as 1400 to manage the ship and tend to the needs of perhaps 3000 passengers it may have as many as 14 decks Photo 1 15 The one immediately above the water level is the statutory bulkhead deck Decks should all be numbered from the keel upward and cabins from forward to aft by require ment of recent amendment to the SOLAS conven tion but some marine administrations may not have enforced this requirement for older ships They may be denoted by letter or names typic
59. as a Sto Ro ship this type of ship may still carry a large number of cars Sto Ro ships have remote ly controlled watertight doors in the holds to shut off part of the ship if it springs a leak The cars are usually driven onto the ship through bow or stern loading doors and into position via ramps then secured The car spaces are like large hangars with no bulkheads and headroom is very limited They usually have mechanical ventilation Movement across them is very restricted because the cars are very tightly packed together When the loading doors are closed main access to the car decks is via stairs in the accommodation section and through sliding doors For the carriage of some cargoes such as food Stuffs it is necessary to keep the temperature of the hold constant To achieve this a ship may be insulated wholly Photo 1 8 or in one or more holds only it is not uncommon for an ordinary cargo or passenger ship to have an insulated hold The material used for insulation varies it may be non flammable or it may be a flammable sub stance such as cork Sometimes both are used together The material fitted between the ship s Marine Incidents 15 Figure 1 11 Photo 1 8 Arrangement of Refrigerated ship portable car decks AMFSI in a bulk carrier ir LAURITZEN AE Figure 1 12 Sectional view of a type of Insulated plug hatch eS E NS Uation Opening into air duct insulate
60. ate enough suitable extinguishing agent before making an assault on the fire If water is an unsuitable agent firefighters will have to take care when cooling down round the area involved Photo 5 11 Even in the open air BA may still be necessary perhaps with protective clothing followed by decontamination IMO requires that access to var ious parts of a ship be adequate for firefighters wearing BA sets not only for firefighting but also for rescue see Chapter 1 Section 7 Firefighters must remember that on a ship but especially on chemical and gas carriers any small enclosed area merely by its position could be oxygen deficient or contain toxic fumes BA should be worn anywhere personnel have to make a difficult or restricted entrance in order to search or check for fire spread c Gas clouds Occasionally a brigade may be faced with an inci dent involving the leakage of a toxic or flammable Photo 5 11 Fire involving ship s superstructure Humberside Fire Brigade Marine Incidents 85 gas or vapour Photo s 5 12 and 5 13 Whether the resulting cloud is visible or not will depend on tts ingredients and the weather Preplanning should have taken this contingency into consideration and arrangements for evacuation movement of ship ping monitoring equipment e g gas testing instruments emergency shut down of heating systems etc should be put in hand by the appro priate authorities as soon as poss
61. be played on hot pipes or the fronts of boilers and their gauge glasses to avoid fractures Various meth ods are available for firefighters to extinguish the fire see below apart from any fixed instal lations The manual options are discussed as follows Photo 5 16 Shows other equipment in machinery space amp CARBON DIOXIDE AND INERT GAS The use of carbon dioxide or inert gas unless part of the ship s own fire defence will be difficult to mobilise quickly enough to make an early attack on the fire However where installed and if not already actuated by the ship s officers this medi um could be used and may save firefighters a lot of unnecessary punishment Whilst both media have no cooling effect they do however have the advan tage of not seriously damaging machinery and electrical equipment After operation of the system it would be necessary to monitor heat levels of the enclosing bulkheads and decks over several hours to determine the effectiveness or oth erwise of the operation At some time it will be necessary for firefighters wearing BA to inspect the area to ensure complete extinction FOAM Medium expansion foam is one option which could be applied with a reasonable chance of suc cess providing it can reach the affected area The numerous obstructions found in machinery spaces requires the foam to be reasonably slack so that it will flow over and round obstacles to reach the common oil surface
62. c carriage of Dangerous Substances in Packages etc Regulations 1992 and the Road Traffic Training of Drivers Carrying Dangerous Goods Regulations 1992 b Identification of hazards On the larger rivers particularly in the North East substances such as coal caustic soda fertiliser containing ammonium nitrate metal scrap and grain is carried on a regular basis BW must be notified in advance in accordance with DHSA of any intention to transport dangerous goods on its waterways or to bring them onto its premises Such goods will be accompanied by written information providing details of the properties of the materials being transported and stating the appropriate pre cautions and emergency action to be taken Figure 8 4 Any relevant details of bulk goods being carried is obtainable from either the pilot of the vessel or from BW Packages and small containers will normally be labelled to indicate CORROSIVE 1 89 Hydrochloric Acid aN Newtown on Moors 0123 45678 THE CHEMICAL CO Figure 8 4 British Waterways Board adaption of the Hazchem Code land transport sign to their vessels carrying dangerous goods both the identity of the goods and the nature of the hazard in accordance with various legislation such as the Chemicals Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply Regulations 1994 8 3 Other Hazards The number of non petroleum hazardous cargoes carried on canals is relatively small and these will
63. capsize because of a positive righting lever Marine Incidents 6 l 60 Fire Service Manual capsizing At least dirty firewater may damage areas of the ship not previously affected and firefighters may be injured by the surge of water and movement of loose objects The ship could also be pushed over as it settled on an uneven bottom What could cause this situation is if a loll is mistaken for a list and inappropriate counter measures were taken Action to correct list Adding weight on the high side Transferring liquids from low side to high Transferring solid weights from low side to high side Jettisoning top weight from low side Action to correct poor stability Angle of Loll Reducing Free Surface Effect by Topping up low compartments containing liquids Removing free surface water Improving ship stability lowering G by Adding weight low down on the low side Draining down flood water to a lower compartment narrower if possible Ballasting compartments low down on the centreline or low side Jettisoning top weight symmetrically about the centreline or from the high side The difference can only be determined by computation so that advice from the ship s officers should be sought or if that is not avail able then from salvage or marine experts see pre planning 62 Fire Service Manual However information they would need may only be ava
64. ch an ignition source The Brigade will therefore probably be faced with fire on the superstructure and or on the surface of the water as well as in the tanks b Fires in tanks Usually a collision and or explosion will have cre ated a hole in the top or side of the tank sufficient ly large for the efficient application of foam When oil is burning inside a tank large quantities of foam will be necessary and the incident commander must be sure to order on sufficient amounts of foam con centrate and an adequate number of foam branches and pumps The supply of foam must be continuous to be successful and it is better to order on too much rather than to allow the fire to re establish itself by having too little Even a relatively minor incident might require as much as 13 500 litres per hour If fixed installations are in operation the incident commander should obviously allow them to continue while mobilising his resources 80 Fire Service Manual Foam branches should be positioned to windward so as to be clear of vapour and to maximise the dis tance of throw This may be done from the deck of the ship or from a fire tug positioned nearby depending on the circumstances Firefighters should concentrate all their efforts on one tank at a time so that the foam has effect as quickly as pos sible Even after a fire has been extinguished a thick layer of foam should be maintained for some hours until the plates have cooled and the da
65. consist of materials such as polyurethane foam which give off toxic fumes and firefighters should in the circumstances or in any case of uncertainty use BA In air duct fires the closing of dampers where applicable is obvious ly of vital importance Marine Incidents 79 5 10 Tankers In general terms firefighters should deal with fires on tankers as they deal with oil fires on land see Fire Service Manuals Firefighting Foam Chapter 6 and Petrochemicals Some general guidance is however given below a The risk of fire The risk of fire varies Cargoes of heavy oil present relatively little risk Crude oil is however danger ous as are petrol and oils having a low flash point The danger is least when tanks are full and proper ly sealed It is the greatest when the tanks have been emptied of oil but still contain gas The prob lem will be relieved if proper inerting procedures have been followed see Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 but this may not have happened or the equipment might be defective or be made so by a fire or other mishap Fire and explosions can then be caused by for example a spark from metal scraping on a steel deck or even by static electricity Other tanker fires may be the result of collisions which rupture the tanks If damage to the tanks does not immediate ly result in a fire a flammable mixture may be formed as air reaches the tanks or gas escapes from them and this may then rea
66. d guarded CO2 and high expan sion foam can be used to considerable effect When gaining access to a hold via a hatch cover firefighters must remember that there will be one or more insulated plug hatches below this and it may require a crane or derrick to remove them Figure 1 12 c Fires in the insulation or air ducts If the fire is in the insulation or air ducts it will not normally be possible to tackle it by introducing extinguishing media into the holds The first necessity will be to locate the seat of the fire The smoke emerging from the thermometer tubes may give an indication of the deck involved and closer identification may be possible by feel ing for the heat through the bulkhead plates or finding signs of burning The use of thermal imaging cameras may greatly speed up this process whilst reducing risk to personnel When the approximate seat has been established firefighters will have to tackle the fire directly How they do so will depend on various factors such as the thickness of the covering plates and the nature of the insulating material behind them One way of dealing with an insulation fire would be to cut holes about 150mm in diameter above the seat of the fire and insert branches Sufficient retaining material should then be stripped away to reach more of the insulation and ensure that no pockets of fire are left This is likewise important when there is a fire in the air ducts Insulation may
67. d previously with the contractor When an RN RFA ship or a nuclear submarine is in commission the following procedure will apply Upon arrival at an incident involving a RN RFA vessel the Fire Brigade Incident commander will be met at the brow Usually marked by a red flag and escorted directly to the ship s officer responsi ble for safety in order to receive a full briefing on the fire and be consulted about the appropriate firefighting strategy Following consultations with the Fire Brigade incident commander the ship s officer responsible for safety known as the Officer of the Day will decide whether to ask the Fire Brigade to stand by or alternatively to ask the senior fire officer to undertake firefighting operations b Command and Control of firefighting operations If the ship s officer responsible for safety decides that RN RFA firefighting resources are sufficient to deal with the incident the Fire Brigade atten dance should remain on stand by The senior fire officer should remain at HQ1 for liaison and con sultation purposes until the Fire Brigade presence is no longer required The ship s officer will retain control and command of firefighting operations The Fire Brigade may be asked to provide supple mentary assistance such as facilities for recharg ing RN BA cylinders If the ship s officer decides that Fire Brigade assis tance 1s required to extinguish the fire he will ask the se
68. d ship showing eS a T A the insulation brine ne E pipes and plug hatches n ape Plan sections of two et en a 3 f Upper ee ea J s Cargo hold decks are shown below Ala T re ba a deck l N i B F E ir a oo w Lower eee E aa Double bottom tank Double bottomtank El AAAAAAAAAAA fF Brine Sa grids Pipe duct Lower deck Limber plugs Bilge plug insulated plugs Fi i i 3 i i Delivery f Brine grids i duct da mdk in ducts Fan and brine grid compartment Inspection compartment z Upper tween deck Lower tween deck Photo 1 7 Bulk Car Carrier Vv 9 A 16 Fire Service Manual Marine Incidents 17 Figure 1 13 Sectional view of the hold of an insulated ship showing air ducts and thermometer tubes Thermometer tubes r Insulating lining structure and an inner lining of wood or metal wholly envelops each insulated hold Figure 1 12 Any tween decks within the hold are similarly insulated After loading has been completed each hatchway is closed with an insulated plug hatch Figure 1 12 There are thermometer tubes one pair per deck for each hold Water steam or CO can be injected via these Figure 1 13 In the holds there may be ducts to circulate cooled air and these may penetrate bulkheads Where actual refrigeration 1s necessary there may be brine pipes ins
69. d to the ship s fire mains whatever the type of coupling There has been a trend in recent years to move towards 50mm diameter fittings or even 38mm connec tions the reason behind this thinking is that a fully charged 64mm hose is very difficult to handle Photo s 2 1 and 2 2 Apart from the normal equipment for delivering water in spray fog or jet form firefighters may find certain special items of use The most signifi cant of these are basement spray the revolving nozzle the cellar pipe and the elbow fog nozzle These are described in the Manual Book 2 Part 2 Ships may also have a permanently charged auto matic sprinkler installation in accommodation and service spaces In some cases this 1s compulsory The installation includes a pressure tank contain ing a standing supply of fresh water and a pump drawing sea water which comes into operation automatically when the pressure tank is partially exhausted On the bridge and or elsewhere there should be some means of indicating which sprin klers are operating The ship may have fire main inlets fore and aft to which firefighters in dockside incidents can connect their appliances so as to pump water from the shore directly into the sprin kler system Firefighters should make the same use 38 Fire Service Manual Photo 2 1 Small hose connection Photo 2 2 Small hose and branch which may be found on some ships of the ship sprinkler system as they would
70. dents 19 Marine Incidents Glossary of shipping terms Abaft Abeam Accommodation ladder ADN After peak Air draught Ahead Astern Athwart Ballast Battening down Beam Bilge Bilge sounding pipes Boat deck Booby hatch Bows To the rear of A direction at right angles to the fore and aft line of a ship A suspended staircase which can be lowered down a Ship s side to give access from water level to the main deck sometimes wrongly called a companionway A European Agreement concerning the international carriage of Dangerous goods by Inland Waterways translation The space within a ship directly in front of its stern The height from the water line to the topmost part of the vessel Directly in front of the bows Directly behind a ship Across Heavy material used to help keep a ship stable Closing and securing hatch covers originally referred to battens and wedges over canvas tarpaulins The width of a ship The space towards the bottom of a ship at the outer sides of the double bottom tanks into which water drains from the bottom of the hold and usually from the tween decks Pipes at the side of a ship running from the upper deck to the bilges there is one for each side of each hold The deck on which the lifeboats are located A small hatch separate from the main one which usually gives access to a ladder The fore part of a ship port and starboard Marine Incid
71. design of container ships varies The super structure can be located in different positions and may comprise up to 12 decks with the engine room casing in the middle surrounded by the accommo dation These vessels do not normally have a shaft tunnel so access to the engine room is from the decks only Figure 1 9 Access to the holds is via the very large hatches provided for loading and unloading or from a working alley below the main deck on port and starboard sides this has small hatchways fitted with ladders There can be up to 2 holds each having perhaps two or three loading hatches On some types the top containers rest on the upper deck in which case the deck and hatch covers are strengthened to take the weight of the containers Some holds are insulated Section 1 6 and carry containers attached by flexible pipes to the ships refrigeration system There may also be Dry Bulk Container Tank Container Figure 1 7 Examples of different types of containers refrigerated containers on deck These may have motors driven either by an integral diesel engine or by electricity fed through flexible cables from the ship s power installation Refrigerated Container Integral Unit Type Marine Incidents 9 SS et ae foes Fess eS ea ee ee ee a SS deeds Hill k i patente H eo rd peoo A aS y a ee ae e T e ee pa Temp he Pema pea p 4
72. ds of raising the alarm and alerting essential services efficiency of inter service liaison arrangements establishment of controls and communications initial reconnaissance arrangements availability of helicopters and water craft including firefighting tugs rescue and casualty handling facilities for alerting all marine risks 92 Fire Service Manual control of shipping movements closure of port moving endangered vessels risk assessment including identification of dangerous substances predetermined embarkation and disembarkation points types of equipment to be transported to the scene minimum number of personnel officers required including relief crews provision of predetermined beaching points catering arrangements attendance of interpreters where there are language difficulties Information to be obtained on receipt of call should include m location of vessel m abandoned or crewed if crewed nationality number of people on board type and size of vessel cargo carried nature and extent of fire weather and sea State Depending on local circumstances there may be a need to set up a land based incident control where the organisations involved can liaise and co ordi nate operations this is likely to be at the nearest Coastguard Rescue Centre It is also quite com mon for a forward control to be set up either on the vessel on fire or a firefighting tug attending the incident b
73. e above as follows It should be possible for at least two jets of water to reach any accessible part of the ship when it is under way and any storeroom or cargo space The ship should have at least two main fire pumps and if necessary an emergency pump to ensure that a fire in one space can not render all pumps inoperable There should be portable extinguishers in all service and accommodation spaces with a minimum of three In some cases there should be a fixed fire smothering installation gas steam or foam according to circumstances to protect the cargo spaces Machinery spaces should have special fire protection similar to that in passenger ships machinery spaces The ship must carry at least two firefighter s outfits these being kept tn widely separated spaces Each must include BA If the ship is 1 000 tonne or over it must have an international shore connection able to be fitted to either side c Large tankers and combination carriers The Merchant Shipping Fire Protection Large Ships Regulations 1998 lay down special require ments for large tankers and combination carriers O O and OBO ships etc These relate mainly to the following facilities Location and separation of spaces Structure Fire integrity of bulkheads and decks Venting purging gas freeing and ventilation Fixed deck foam system Inert gas system Cargo pump rooms fixed fire extinguishing systems
74. e being drawn up for all BW tunnels and Brigades should liaise with local BW staff to finalise their local arrangements The following list which is by no means exhaus tive of the types of other problems that may be encountered when firefighters are called to an inci dent on an inland waterway difficult remote vehicular access strong currents fast flowing waters e g weirs rivers etc overhead electric lines contact with other electrical or hydraulic hazards flooding storm damage structural failure of the waterway infrastructure e g breach of the bank stranded grounded or sinking vessels confined spaces e g lock chambers etc lack of adequate headroom e g low bridges traffic congestion e g at bridges locks etc 108 Fire Service Manual 8 4 Brigade procedures Both the commercial and leisure use of inland waterways is increasing and therefore incidents are likely to become more frequent All aspects of firefighting and rescue will need to be considered for example in many cases casualties may need to be hauled up a retaining wall e g lock chamber etc It is important that firefighters make them selves familiar with the following in their area the volume and type of water borne traffic the type of hazardous bulk and packaged goods being carried on a regular basis the layout of wharf port and dock areas the location and operation of
75. e cabin cruisers Some of these larger powered craft include registered trip boats which can carry hun dreds of people at any one time Unpowered craft such as kayaks and canoes are also found on the canals and these too will have their range of asso ciated hazards Photo 8 1 Commercial vessel on waterways Courtesy of British Waterways Photolibrary Marine Incidents 105 Figure 8 1 Coastal tanker of about 3 000 tonne dwt used to come alongside riparian oil product depots Lt a a a a ee ee ee 0 2 ee ee ee ee eee a a l i i J Pump Absorption a room equipment r Se a ee et L j eee causi nda tark cn Wane a ee ae ale ow 1 1 i I t J I I l l E a S al gt a l 1 1 1 1 T Figure 8 3 Small gas carrier carrying a regular load of liquid chlorine 106 Fire Service Manual m a e he eg i i ii A i Store r Fore peak tank 8 2 Dangerous Substances a Legislation Control of the carriage handling and storage of hazardous cargoes within waterway areas is main ly covered by the Dangerous Substances in Harbours DHSA Act 1987 and the Petroleum Consolidation Act 1928 The International Maritime Dangerous Goods IMDG Code applies to sea going vessels which use inland waterways while the road transport of goods from ports and docks fall under road traffic legislation such as the Road Traffi
76. e of 750 1200mm in depth which is divided into watertight compartments This provides a safeguard in the event of ground ing and is also used for extra water ballast feed water for the boilers and oil fuel Fuel oil is carried in double bottom tanks or in the deep tank or in the wing compartments and cross bunker spaces Figure 1 5 Opposite General lay out of ballast tanks pipelines and bilge suction pipelines of a typical cargo ship sJ 5 ton 5 ton jt ONS na A cin Forecastle 2 amp 3 Tweendeck ki DIX Figure 1 6 Modern general cargo ship An escape trunk fitted with a ladder would run up from the shaft tunnel through the aft peak Marine Incidents 7 Marine diesel engines use heavy fuel oil which needs pre heating On Liquid Natural Gas ships any boil off from the cargo is used as engine fuel Cofferdams usually separate compartments con taining oil from those containing fresh water or cargo They are double watertight bulkheads usu ally transverse with a space of about one metre between them From the fuel storage tanks the oil is pumped to settling tanks in the machinery space and heated then purified by means of a centrifuge before it is passed to the fuel pumps The excess oil from the centrifuge or burners should collect in oil bilge holding tanks According to the Safety of Life at Sea SOLAS Convention See Chapter 2 the oil should have a flashpoint not lo
77. ed may not be broken without the express permission of the Officer of the Day Magazines usually have a sprinkler system operat ing from the fire main Ships which carry aircraft have particularly extensive sprinkler systems in the hangars Firefighters should be aware of the characteristics of aviation fuel that might be carried 4 Fire Service Manual k Firefighting Firefighting tactics will be determined by a dynamic risk assessment An important consideration as always will be to keep the amount of water used to a minimum If the fire is well established it will of course be necessary to mount a direct attack on it in the nor mal way If this is done firefighters should check that all surrounding bulkheads decks and hatches are intact and should cool them with water spray to ensure that they remain so boundary cooling It should be noted that checking the fire boundary of an RN ship constructed of GRP glass rein forced plastic may be difficult as very little heat is transferred and the wrong impression may be gained It may be valuable to inject a firefighting medium other than water into a compartment to hasten the extinction process and special equipment may be available for this purpose on some ships Firefighters should always seek the advice of the ship s officers in such circumstances The length of time before opening up will become possible will depend on the size of the compartment and the intensit
78. ed standard of availability Marine Incidents 9 l Informing HM Coastguard of any reason for not making available any facility which is declared and which has been requested by HM Coastguard The Coastguard organisation in the United Kingdom is divided into five regions in which are located six Maritime Rescue Co ordination Centres MRCC s and fifteen Maritime Rescue Sub Centres MRSC s each with a constantly manned operations room There are about 600 regular Coastguard officers assisted by about 3500 auxiliaries Liaison 1s best made through one of the six MRCC s 6 2 Contingency Plans a General considerations The potential for a major incident even in the smaller ports and harbours and off shore appears to be increasing The number and size of potentially dangerous cargoes entering and leaving ports have risen and there have been several instances of pas senger ferries being involved in fire There must therefore be pre planning for such emergencies Where fire brigades have agreed to respond to incidents on ships at sea contingency plans must be drawn up in consultation with other services e g Coastguard Harbour Authority County Emergency Planning officer police RNLI tug companies armed forces Where two or more authorities have a common estuary it may be nec essary to set up a joint committee to co ordinate planning and response Such pre planning should consider the following points metho
79. efforts should be made to remove such water as soon as possible Brigades with ship firefighting responsibilities usually have a prepared stability procedure to put into operation when necessary If the Incident Commander decides that the procedure should be introduced he will usually designate an officer to j be Stability Officer and require him her to carry out the procedure The duties of a Stability Officer vary slightly from brigade to brigade but would include Securing a number of firefighters to act as stability crew and if possible identify them by specially marked jackets etc so that it is generally understood that they cannot be used for any other purpose Establishing contact with the ship s officers and harbour officials if present and obtain ing plans of the ships pumping system accommodation cargo stowage if applica ble water ballast and fuel tanks firefight ing equipment etc together with any cargo manifest and a report on the current state of the various tanks Most of this information CTR CENTRE LOC TN ST BD STARBOARD LOCATION H TONS PER HOUR Vite RUNNING TOTAL DY DOUBLE BOTTOM STATE OF VESSEL TANK FRESH Panasr ou preser canco capacity CAPACITY CONTENTS FIREFIGHTIN A WATER WATER FUEL FUEL OIL pP A o I i m should be available in the ship s fire wallet see Chapter 2 Section 2 5 Setting up a stability
80. efighters will operate such systems themselves either the systems will already be in operation when firefighters arrive or if ship s crew members are unavailable to operate the systems it may be better for the brigade to use its own equipment However a basic knowledge of the systems to be found will be helpful This is par ticularly so in machinery spaces where the majori ty of ship fires occur Firefighters must not how ever assume that ship board installations will actually be available or have the desired effect when operated especially in some foreign vessels a Steam Steam is no longer recommended for ships because of changes in propulsion and boiler design the right sort of steam low pressure is no longer available However in case it is met on a very old vessel the following notes are retained On some ships steam is available continuously and in large quantities provided that there is suffi cient fresh water available and that the machinery spaces have not been affected by fire The steam must be generated from fresh water since marine boilers cannot normally use salt water It helps fight a fire by displacing the oxygen from the air and by slowly saturating the cargo as its moisture content condenses There are however disadvan tages associated with its use Very large quantities are necessary especially at first when much ts likely to condense It cannot be used on cargoes on which water cou
81. eight may cause a list O Loss of stability may make the ship go to an angle of loll 4 7 List or Loll As will be seen from the above discussion free surface effect is a dynamic thing due to motions produced when the ship is moving in a seaway When a ship is rolling in a seaway loss of stabili ty will be apparent in the motion of the ship In still water it is very difficult to judge whether a ship is inclined because of uneven distribution of weight a list or due to poor stability a loll although if there is a lot of free surface water in wide compartments it may be obvious that this is the problem The problem is that even in still water the situa tion may become dynamic if for any reason the ship flops over to the angle of loll on the oppo site side The movement of the ship and the loose water within it may cause the ship to roll past the angle of loll and she is in danger of Righting lever Limit of J stability i Capsizing lever Figure 4 8 This vessel would not remain upright for long As soon as she is inclined from the upright GZ ts a capsizing danger of capsize at a relatively small angle of heel lever until she reaches her angle of loll However this vessel still has a wide range of stability at her angle of loll Vessel B does not have as good initial stability but has a much wider range of stability and could withstand being g heeled or listed to a much greater angle without
82. eing designed especial ly for use at ports where there is no conventional handling gear These have access to cargo spaces through doors in the bow and carry equipment such as bogies and heavy duty fork lift trucks for loading and unloading LASH stands for Lighter aboard ship A lighter is a large floating box into which various goods often mixed can be loaded and which is then lift ed aboard by crane Some ships can carry between about 70 and 90 lighters and may have both lighters and ordinary containers on board at the same time Barge aboard ships have three continuous cargo decks with no hatch openings on the top as loading is carried out horizontally by means of a moving platform at the stern These ships can carry 12 barges on the lower deck 12 on the main deck and 14 on the upper These vessels have loading ramps via which vehicles can drive on and off Figure 1 10 A particular example is the bulk carrier which can transport very large numbers of cars 2000 is not uncommon and some carry very many more Figure 1 11 and Photo 1 7 One important fea ture 1s the large number of decks 12 is typical As on partial container ships these decks may be adjustable i e suspended on cables so that they can be raised lowered or removed to facilitate loading unloading and the carriage of different cargoes A vessel designed to carry general cargo and or containers in addition to vehicles may be referred to
83. ents 1 2 Bridge Bridge deck Brow Bulk cargo Bulkhead Bunker Coaming Coffer dam Combination Carrier Companionway Condition Continuous deck Dampers DSHR Deck Deckhead Deep tank Derrick Double bottom Draught The high part of a ship s superstructure from which it is primarily controlled A deck level with the bridge along the top of the accommoda tion Top of the gangway on an RN ship A homogeneous unpackaged cargo e g grain coal oil chemical for which the only containment is the ship s hull An internal wall used to divide a ship into compartments Bulkheads may be fire retardant or fire resistant and below the waterline athwartships bulkheads may be watertight A compartment in which fuel is stored Raised metalwork surrounding a hatch or opening in the deck A narrow space within two watertight bulkheads separating two spaces A ship designed to carry oil and other bulk cargo A staircase within a ship The state of a ship in port under repair in dry dock One extending from stem to stern across the whole width of a ship Devices for blocking air ducts in the case of fire Dangerous Substances in Harbours and Harbour Areas regulations One of the floors dividing a ship horizontally The underside of a deck forming a ceiling to the deck above A tank in which liquid or dry cargoes may be carried in a dry cargo vessel It may be portioned off one o
84. er and there is usually some form of cargo handling gear near the pump house d Ore Bulk Oil carriers OBO These vessels carry ore oil or general bulk cargoes Figure 1 21 The holds unlike those on the ore and O O ships may extend the full width of the ship and are not always raised above the double bottoms Hatches are small with oil and gas tight covers Ore is carried only in alternate holds but oil in all there are pumping systems installed to enable this The double bottoms and upper wing tanks are used for water ballast On both O O and OBO ships coils or ducts for heating the heavy oils are usually located under the tank tops behind shields at the base of the bulkheads or under deck heads to be lowered by winch as required Some OBO types are known as PROBO ships Products oil Ore Bulk Oil e New developments Developments of the bulk carrier include the geared carrier for general cargo phosphate ore timber or containers cargo handling being by means of travelling gantries and a ship which can be converted from a general bulk carrier to a car carrier by the lowering of a number of car decks 1 10 Passenger Vessels a Passenger car ferries These vessels Figure 1 22 and Photo 1 12 typi cally carry 250 500 cars fewer if larger vehicles are carried They usually have hydraulically operated doors at bow and stern for vehicles to drive to and from the car decks and are sometimes included i
85. ers on ocean going voyages A large passenger vessel plying a particular long distance route or undertaking leisure educational cruises Now more commonly known as cruise ships Of a ship to lean to one side as the result of the uneven distribution of weight within the ship Liquefied natural gas A mixture of mineral gases consisting mainly of methane An inclination of a ship which may occur if the ship becomes marginally unstable in the upright position see Chapter 4 Note It is not necessarily a sign of uneven weight distribution and must not be confused with list The two conditions require different methods of correction Liquefied petroleum gas A mixture of petroleum hydrocarbons consisting mainly of propane and butane An area of a ship where ammunition is stored on a naval ship or explosives are carried in a merchant ship A ship s list of its cargo Maritime Coastguard Agency The captain of a merchant vessel A compartment built around a mast which contains trunkways to the lower hold A compass platform above the bridge Merchant Shipping Dangerous Goods Regulations Perlite Pilot ladder Plug hatch Pontoon Poop Port Port hole Push tow system Quarter Reefer Refrigeration Ribs Scuppers Shaft tunnel Shell door Shelter deck SOLAS Starboard Statutory bulkhead deck A type of glass forming a lightweight aggregate sometimes used as an insulating mater
86. ers when assessing a fire in a cargo hold Bulk carriage of coal is susceptible to fires and it would be a daily routine to measure and log these temperatures There is also likely to be access to the bilges via hatches from the lowest deck Figure 1 4 Figure 1 4 Section and plan of one type of mast house and access to trunkways PLAN ABOVE D 6 Ventilators Most modern cargo ships have mechanical ventila tion of holds with supply and exhaust fans On some older vessels however there may be a free flow air system using cowl ventilators In this sys tem shafts lead to the below deck areas from above deck cowls which can be rotated into and out of the wind Some cowls are fitted with steel flaps which can if necessary be closed to prevent the entry of air in other cases the cowl can be lifted off and the shaft blocked with a plug and canvas cover 4 Mast house 4 Shelter deck ie Lower hold COU gedsevennunannaneresses a ci r s 4 Access through manholes to double bottom Bulkhead m ECK PLAN THROUGH HOLD Marine Incidents 5 6 A ET E m St che Sees se ee Deep tank above can be used for ballast MATTE TEEI LELLE E te TETEE E F KEY Ballast pipelines t00mm VP a eRe a a a Bilge suction pipelines 100mm iosa s rz Valve Suction inlet ete Bilge sounding pipe 38mm 9
87. es vary greatly according to their precise func tion the volume of goods or number of passengers carried the requirements of the individual owners the practices of different ship builders different national legislation the age of the vessel the pref erences for different materials or techniques to achieve the same ends Clearly this book cannot give details of every one it therefore only attempts to describe some of the more important features of the types which firefighters are most likely to encounter Firefighters should take any opportuni ty that presents itself to get on board ships and familiarise themselves with construction layout controls provisions for prevent with fire etc 1 1 Common features Firefighters should be aware ferences outlined above many tain basic common features some features which most s with the terms used in refe terms will be explained in t encountered or in the glossa should ensure they are fami Similarly all ships have decks ly dividing one part of the These are usually of the same sel but particularly on passeng sheathed in timber or a plas large ships of metal constructio is built up on a series of ribs bulkheads vertical walls div the ship into sections and at eac there is a fore or after peak Oil fuel or w b tanks ae ee Stace FHE i NE E a nal af ee eam i es zm it No 4 hole hold Ne Engine Yz ang
88. f access to tween decks and holds The most common means of access are 1 Ladders These are the principal means Usually they lead down from one side or end of a hatchway some times they are reached by a separate small or booby hatch The ladders may be staggered at different deck levels 2 Mast houses Trunkways may lead from a mast house on the upper deck to the lower hold Figure 1 4 These contain ladders giving access to the various decks the lower hold and the double bottom They may also act as ventilators with cowls on top of the mast house see below 3 Trimming These are small openings usually about 600mm Square which are sometimes found in the tween decks in the far corners from the main hatches 4 Hatches 5 Bilges and tanks Water from the bottom of the hold and usually any from the tween decks perhaps with oil residue drains down to bilges at the outer edge of the Marine Incidents 3 Weather deck voller path cover 2 Tween deck cover Weather deck cover Figure 1 3 Diagrams showing various types of hatch covers found on cargo ships 4 Fire Service Manual double bottom tanks or into sumps in the tank tops The water is pumped out through pipelines connected to bilge pumps in the machinery space Bilge sounding pipes one for each side of each hold enable measurement of the water depth Sounding pipes may also be utilised for lowering thermomet
89. f the lower holds A type of crane on board a ship A space under part or the whole of the hold and machinery spaces It runs practically the whole length of a vessel and is divided into watertight compartments some of which may be tanks for oil fuel The distance from a ship s keel to the waterline P Fire Service Manual Dumb barge Epoxy Ferry Fire main Flag Officer Forecastle Fo c sle Fore peak Frames Free board Free surface effect Galley Hard Hard arm Hatch hatchway Heel Hold Hull IMCO IMO A barge without its own source of power A flexible thermosetting resin used in coatings A vessel providing a regular service between two ports for pas sengers and in some cases vehicles The water mains of a ship A senior naval officer entitled to fly a flag denoting his rank The part of a ship s superstructure above the main deck at the bows The space within a ship immediately behind the stem Curved steel members running up the side of a ship to which the side plating is attached The height of a vessel s sides between the water level and the main deck Sometimes referred to as the top sides The effect on a ship s stability of a tank or other space being partly but not completely full of liquid A ship s kitchen A stone or concrete extension to the foreshore which 1s uncovered at low tide A pivoted crane carrying flexible oil pipeline for loadi
90. f unduly disturbed by jets could produce dust clouds and possible dust explosions For cool ing the hull however jets are generally more effective b Compartment flooding There have been occasions when due to the inac cessibility of a deep seated fire a decision has been made to totally flood a compartment or hold J F Photo 5 8 Fire in ship s hold Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service This is usually only done after all other methods have failed and the Master and all other authorities have agreed The stability of the ship will have to be carefully monitored and the possibility of it set tling on the bottom also taken into account This will be a matter for the Harbour or dock Master to decide All side openings to the compartment or hold whether designed or introduced would have to be securely plugged before flooding started There must be upward ventilation for superheated steam and gases or the compartment could be pres surised a watch should be maintained at these points The incident commander should ensure that clear lines of retreat are kept open for any brigade personnel used for this purpose When the fire is considered extinguished the hold s should be pumped out the incident commander still maintaining a careful watch on stability In cases where the ship has rested on the bottom the lift off could be hazardous if insuffi cient care is taken see Chapter 4 5 4 Use of Other Exting
91. foreign ships that are loading or unloading cargo passengers or fuel within UK waters Other relevant documents are the International Maritime Dangerous Goods IMDG Code and the IMO Codes relating to dangerous bulk cargoes The IMDG Code is the most exten sive dangerous goods reference available and is applied to all vessels carrying dangerous sub stances The information displayed on packages 1s not restricted to sea trade and will be encountered on the road rail movement of sea trade The code identifies those substances which are marine pollu tants and every effort must be made to prevent these substances from entering the marine environ ment If such an accident happens then the loss of the substance has to be reported In a fresh water port or river some cargoes may be environmental pollutants A new IMO Recommendation on the Safe Transport of Dangerous Cargoes and Related Activities in Port Areas was published in 1995 and will shortly be adopted by new legislation b Port areas The IMO recommendations for the transport handling and storage of dangerous substances in port areas were published in 1995 These will shortly be adopted as statutory requirements for such areas called the Dangerous Substances in Harbours and Harbour Areas Regulations DSHR These are being formulated by the Health and Safety Executive and will replace most of the pre sent local byelaws and regulations A Code of Practice will be issued at the s
92. gade for its opinion on the possi ble hazard to the port This will depend on the type of cargo involved but in most cases it will be advantageous to proceed to a berth however remote because of the concentration of personnel and equipment which can be made available there plus the facilities for moving cargo etc If the ship s Master is unable to find a nearby British port which is willing to accept the ship an attempt may be made to enter a foreign port If so the fire officer will have to decide whether fire fighters should disembark beforehand or proceed with the ship to its destination In reaching his decision he should consult the ship s Master and bear in mind the fire situation 6 6 Sea and Air Sickness During training it will become apparent that some personnel are unsuitable for air or sea travel due to sickness particularly in rough weather However fire brigades should consider the issue of travel sickness medication Even in good weather an air or sea trip can be bumpy and an issue of this medication before embarkation should lessen the problem for those unfortunate sufferers It is worth at the pre planning stage to seek medical advice as to which type of sea sickness medication to issue as some tend to make the user drowsy It is also a wise move to issue the medica tion well before travelling and to continue the dose rate Some people do not suffer from travel sick ness and others may claim not to but
93. general Other hazards on board RN vessels are the extensive and complex electrical installations the very heavy smoke logging which may be experienced e g when unprotected butyl covered electrical installations become involved in a fire and of course the magazines weapon storage areas and fuel tanks The absence of port holes on RN ships may cause problems in ventilation or getting water onto the ship Although RN ships have these special hazards firefighters are helped by other features e g the extensive division into watertight compartments by transverse and longitudinal bulkheads and watertight hatches and the relatively small amount of flammable material other than in the stores and magazines Naval ships have in addition more comprehensive firefighting equipment aboard than other ships and a larger complement of personnel though whether all are present will of course depend on the circumstances The fire main pressure in naval ships is usually 5 2 bar on the older types and 7 bar on the newer Instantaneous couplings on board RN ships are identical with those of British fire services Smoke boundaries are established by RN and RFA personnel close to the fire Doors and hatches are designed to contain the smoke and in order that hose lines may be brought to the scene of the fire without the need to open the doors through bulkhead hose fittings are sited adjacent to each door or hatch Smoke boundaries once establish
94. h the chemicals are carried can be either integral i e forming an essential part of the ship s hull or independent i e not forming part of the hull structure In modern ships the tanks have linings that can be of epoxy zinc sili cate or stainless steel The allocation of cargoes to the various tanks will depend not only on the car goes compatibility with each other and with any residue which may be left over from previous car goes but also on their compatibility with the tank linings since these can be damaged by contact with certain chemicals All cargo tanks should have an appropriate venti lation system certain substances require special ventilation arrangements In some cases it is also necessary to have special controlled atmospheres in cargo tank vapour spaces and in the spaces sur rounding the tanks This can be achieved by Marine Incidents 21 Ol Photo 1 10 Small Gas Tanker Foam guns i ke ni W Liaw arm ee ee ee So aie E l2 1P6 SS Be l Pumproom C Centre P Port S Starboard Figure 1 16 Bulk chemical carrier showing tank numbering system i inerting filling the space with a gas which will not support combustion and which will not react with the cargo see Chapter 2 4 e ii padding separating the cargo from the air by means of a liquid or gaseous filling iii drying keeping the cargo free of water or
95. hamber type of generator It should be noted here that for oil tanker safety a flue scrubber inert gas generating system is used for fire and explosion prevention which is different to inert gas genera tion for the suppression of fire in cargo hold Diesel oil and air are supplied under pressure to a combustion chamber from where the burnt gases pass to the cooling chamber and so to the distribu tion network Water from the ship s pumps circu lates round the combustion chamber to reduce the temperature From the generator the tnert gas passes via a main pipe to manifolds fore and aft and from there through diverting valves via indi vidual pipelines to discharge points in each hold Systems of this sort independently generating the inert gas required are expensive to fit and they take up space An alternative is the flue gas sys Ay Fire Service Manual tem the basic principle of which is that flue gas is drawn from the boiler up takes and passed through a scrubber Figure 2 6 which cools the gas and removes most of the sulphur dioxide and trioxide and solid particles A centrifugal blower then injects the gas into the cargo holds via a deck water seal which provides a protection against reverse flow and thus prevents hydrocarbons gases passing back into the machinery space Sometimes a small gas generator is coupled with the flue gas system so that it is not always necessary to bring the boil er intO Operation every time
96. hapter 7 An example of a dan gerous cargo manifest 1s shown in Figure 5 1 5 9 Insulated Ships a General Fire in insulated ships may occur either in the holds or in the insulation A fire starting in a hold may however spread easily to other parts of the ship via the insulation or air ducts and through the effects of radiated or conducted heat Firefighting is made more difficult by the large amount of fumes and smoke that can be given off some of which can be toxic Involvement of refrigeration plant is a particularly serious cause of fumes Heavy concentrations of CO may be present in holds carrying citrus fruit even when there is no fire In most cases therefore the use of BA is essential Usually a ship s engineer will shut off the hold s or deck s involved and leave the rest of the ship s refrigeration system working In an incident involving an insulated ship the commander of the first attendance should ascertain the details listed in Section 5 2 a above plus the following the type of insulation the type of ducting piping the nature of the refrigerant if applicable NORLAND AAEE A a EL T AE a E Paa a RETIN DAT E jeoomgnie sP En he Hia 8KG UNIT CLASS EMERGENCY NO UNIT NO TYPE COMMODITY F P PAGE UN WEIGHT SEGREGATION pren l P j DIPHENYLMETHANE 4 4 Oulsacyanate ana ree AWAY FROM EMS 11 228292 L T LUPRANATE RESIDUE LO amp FOOD 6 1 0
97. he system should include monitors and hand held applicators plus valves forward of every monitor position to close off damaged sections of the foam and fire mains It should be possible to use the minimum prescribed number of water jets from the fire main at the same time as the deck foam system is in operation Foam installations will also be found in machinery spaces on some older ships and in the cargo spaces on certain RO RO vessels They have a permanent distribution system of pip ing and valves or cocks leading to fixed discharge outlets which can in a few minutes cover with foam the whole area involved The installations may also include fixed and mobile sprayers The systems take different forms as set out below Their layout and capacity vary from ship to ship Pump operated type This has a foam concentrate tank outside the machinery space Adjacent to it there is an induc tor to which leads a dual water supply from the ship s pumps this should ensure operation if one supply fails The water passes through the induc tor which adds to it the correct amount of foam concentrate from the tank and delivers the solution to the foam generators in the boiler room When there are two machinery spaces the system may include distribution piping with valves to dis charge the foam to either space Figure 2 2 Self contained pressure type This type is generally used where suitable pumps are not available on board It
98. he possibility of its breakdown and consequent production of high temperatures and toxic gases under fire conditions should be taken into account b Firefighting Depending on the nature of the fire explosion the Master should if possible have operated some or all of the shipboard fire protection systems The first Job of the brigade will be to cool the unpro tected areas while the Master attempts to shut down cargo pumps etc Because of the tank con figurations on these vessels many of them have a poor ballast capacity and therefore their stability can easily be upset The liaison between the vari ous organisations needs to be particularly close to keep the ship stable 5 15 Fires in Parts of a Ship a Fires in stores Storage areas found on ships will include paint lockers often protected by fixed installations rope stores deck and engine room stores linen lockers frequent source of fire food stores and stewards stores Even a small fire in a store can give off quite a lot of smoke because of the mate rials present e g plastics Firefighters should make an attack at close quar ters with a spray jet or possibly high expansion foam It may be necessary to wear BA The engineer s store and workshop usually located in the engine room can present special problems due to the clutter of oily material Fires in these areas are hard to fight and it is important to tackle them as quickly as possible to avoid ser
99. hip s officers If initial entry is difficult because of heat it may be possible to approach the fire from the deck below The Photo 5 4 Ship s fire indicator panel incident commander should consider the use of a thermal imaging camera for both locating the fire and for assessing the effect of the fire on adjoining compartments At the same time firefighters should carry out checks above and below and around the area identified Photo 5 5 The inci dent commander will require personnel to report back on the limits of any smoke encountered any apparent heat being conducted through decks or bulkheads any particular risk or material likely to assist fire spread Marine Incidents 69 any problems of access if boundary cooling becomes necessary Ideally the BA search team will be carrying com munication equipment and therefore able to give first hand information back to the BA entry point which should be relayed immediately to the 70 Fire Service Manual Photo 5 5 Fire in superstructure Merseyside Fire Brigade incident commander There may be known dead spots within a steel hull for communications Ship s officers may be able to advise on this The incident commander will be better able to decide on the strategy for tackling the fire by ref erence to the combined information received from sa ship s officers or those responsible for the ship the
100. ht portable pumps preferably diesel and suction hose strainers with spare fuel Lighting equipment Hand held radtos loud hailers Tools Gas detection equipment Rations and drinking water Thermal image camera Foam concentrate Message pads pens and chinagraph pencils Nominal roll boards Photo 6 5 Lowering packaged firefighting equipment Kent Fire Brigade Photo 6 6 Off shore survival suit Kent Fire Brigade It will be apparent that off shore firefighting oper ations may have to be undertaken in adverse weather conditions Particular attention should therefore be paid to appropriate provision being made for the safety and welfare of personnel tak ing part Equipment suitable for personnel safety and welfare is listed below First aid equipment Sea sickness pills Food and drink Firefighting uniform Heat resisting gloves Waterproofs Survival suits Photo 6 6 Lifejackets 6 3 Dealing with the Incident Most of the problems of firefighting in port will apply at sea and the basic strategy and tactics see Chapter 5 should be applied However such prob lems will be compounded by the relative isolation of the firefighting team a Reconnaissance Experience has shown that the initial call to a brigade for assistance often does not give suffi cient information as to what the situation is or even where it is If possible a small reconnaissance group led by a
101. ial Similar to a Jacob s ladder only shorter A specially designed insulating hatch used on reefer ships A floating structure which may be used as a buoyant support alongside a ship or mooring platform The after part of a ship The poop deck is a raised deck at the stern The side of a vessel on the left of a person looking forward A window in a ship s side or in a bulkhead usually circular A system of barge propulsion in which the motorised vessel can either push or pull a string of barges The part of a ship s side near the stern port or starboard Ship equipped with insulated and refrigerated holds to enable it to carry perishable goods Method of cooling parts of a ship to enable it to carry perishable goods or in some cases liquefied gas at low temperatures Curved members of the side of a ship running from keel to deck to which the cladding of the hull is fixed Openings along the sides of a ship s upper decks to allow water to drain over the sides Internal spaces may have scuppers which either drain over the side or lower down in the ship A tunnel running from the engine room aft containing the intermediate shafting between the engine and the propeller shaft at the stern Modern all aft ships may not have one A watertight door opening in the ship s side shell plating for loading cargo or stores A name given to the upper deck when the bulkheads do not extend to its underside but only to
102. ible The infinite number of conditions possible at such an incident forces planning to be very flexible The incident commander must try to keep personnel out of the gas cloud insofar as he can ascertain its extent Firefighters should if possible keep upwind If for the purposes of rescue an entry into a gas cloud must be made it should be by as few firefighters as possible and they should spend only as much time in the danger area as it takes to perform the rescue They should be warned against operating any electrical equipment including radio and if lights are necessary they must switch them on before entering the cloud and switch them off only after leaving it 5 14 Gas Carriers a General The range of gases that can be carried by these vessels 1s very wide The cargo tanks are pres surised and or refrigerated often to a very low temperature see Chapter 1 Section 7 b In order Photo 5 12 Shows result of hold explosion Humberside Fire Brigade Photo 5 13 View looking aft Humberside Fire Brigade 86 Fire Service Manual to facilitate unloading the gases are often heated Additional heat from a fire can cause problems with a possible discharge of gas through relief valves with the possible formation of an explosive mixture Polyurethane foam usually encased in metal is widely used as tank insulation this material has resulted in some disastrous land based fires in recent years t
103. ice Guides to Health and Safety see Further Reading should always be borne in mind by all personnel when attending operational incidents Marine Incidents il Marine Incidents Contents Introduction Chapter 1 Ship Construction 1 1 Common features 1 2 General Cargo ships 1 3 Container Ships 1 4 LASH ships and barge aboard ships 1 5 Roll On Roll Off RO RO ships other than passenger car ferries 1 6 Insulated Ships 1 7 Tankers 1 8 Chemical and Gas Carriers 1 9 Bulk Carriers 1 10 Passenger Vessels 1 11 H M Ships Chapter 2 Ship board Fire Protection 2 1 Legislation 2 2 Requirements 2 3 Fire Detection and Alarm Systems 2 4 Fixed Fire Protection 2 5 Ship Plans Chapter 3 Factors Relevant to Marine Incidents 3 1 Legislation 3 2 Responsibilities 3 3 Preplanning for Major Incident 3 4 Use of Fire and Salvage Tugs Launches etc 3 5 Pollution 3 6 Salvage Chapter 4 Stability 4 1 General 4 2 Buoyancy 43 Gravity 4 4 Equilibrium and Heeling 4 5 Metacentric Height 4 6 Free Surface Effect 4 7 List or Loll 4 8 Vessels in Shallow Water 4 9 Stability Procedures 4 10 Other Considerations 4 11 Collision Damage Marine Incidents iX bo V Chapter 5 Fighting Ship Fires in Port 5 1 General 5 2 Strategy and Tactics 5 3 Use of Water 5 4 Use of Other Extinguishing Media 5 5 Ventilation 5 6 General Cargo Ships 5 7 Container Ships LASH and Barge aboard Ships 5 8
104. ide of the hull However it is now thought unlikely that modern hovercraft will ever capsize Should a hovercraft break down they are difficult to tow as their skirts act as sea anchors but they can be towed slowly Liferafts and lifejackets have to be carried for use in any of the emergencies mentioned Marine Incidents 3 ji 1 11 H M Ships Naval vessels differ in design according to their function aircraft carrier frigate destroyer minesweeper etc Photo s 1 18 1 19 and 1 20 All are very much more extensively divided into watertight compartments than comparable mer chant ships the divisions being both transverse and longitudinal All decks below a point about 2 5 metres above the exterior water level are fitted with watertight doors and hatches to help prevent primarily the spread of floodwater but also the spread of smoke The ventilation systems in war ships are quite extensive and invariably breach 32 Fire Service Manual Photo 1 18 Aircraft Carrier HMS Ark Royal British Crown CopyrightMOD Reproduced with the permission of Her Majesty s Stationery Office Photo 1 19 Frigate HMS Monmouth British Crown CopyrightiMOD Reproduced with the permission of Her Majesty s Stationery Office 0 O Photo 1 20 Nuclear Powered Submarine HMS Vanguard British Crown Copyright MOD Reproduced with the permission of Her Majesty s Stationery Office watertight decks a
105. ifficult Harbour craft tugs etc within port operational areas use marine radio channel 16 for emergencies but as this is also a calling channel for all marine craft communication is subject to interruption Most brigades find it more efficient to take as 94 Fire Service Manual Figure 6 1 An example of preplanning to carry equipment out to a ship Totals by helicopter 370 kg 370 kg 50 Kg 21 kg 29 kg 3 9 KE 1 2 kg 54 7 ke Ol Kg 29 kg 6 4 kg lL 6 ke 2 We 606 ke 180 kg 54 5 ke ao KE 19 kg 76 7 kg Overall Total Weight TOTAL 7192 ke part of their reconnaissance and first attendance equipment portable pack sets which maintain a separate link either to forward controls on shore or into the brigade network Photo 6 4 This ensures that radio discipline is maintained the channel does not become overloaded and other services are not interrupted However brigades main scheme channels must not be used for air to ground communications Brigades may use mobile or transportable radios using VHF channels 21 and 22 and or radios using j P j Photo 6 2 Landing off shore firefighting crew on casualty exercise Kent Fire Brigade Photo 6 4 Off shore Communications equipment Kent Fire Brigade Photo 6 3 Off shore firefighting crew aboard RAF rescue helicopter Kent Fire Brigade Marine Incidents 95 UHF channels 1 to 6 within UK territorial waters
106. ighters can become confused in the maze of decks and corridors Photo 10 4 When descending into engine rooms they should be aware that all ladders landings and metal work are generally greasy and take care how they proceed They should also bear in mind that metal ladders may become hot even at some distance from the fire E When climbing down into holds firefight ers should pay special attention to open hatches and remember not to step back off a ladder before checking that the ladder hatch is closed l 1 6 Fire Service Manual E When moving in smoke they should bear in mind the whereabouts of coamings open hatches ducts and chutes and if possible mark them with Jights or even have them guarded by a designated firefighter a Ships under repair Ships undergoing repair refit or refurbishment quite often have holes cut in the decks compan ionways removed loose electrical cables strewn everywhere and many other hazards e g flamma ble paints and liquids gas cylinders heaters Firefighters should make regular visits to ships in such conditions in order to see the difficulties and carry out liaison and preplanning with the dock yard repairers Radioactive isotopes are sometimes used aboard ship and in repair yards These risks should be identified and liaison with the repairers set up to ensure that firefighters receive adequate informa tion on their whereabouts if called to an incident b Shi
107. ilable from firefighters How much water is being pumped into each compartment How much water is accumulating How much water is draining down Simple reports like the depth of water in an alleyway may be valuable In the past fire fighting has been abandoned because free surface calculations were performed for the whole width of a compartment when on a ship with a list the water remained in a pocket on the low side with a much smaller actual free surface 4 8 Vessels in Shallow Water Most ship fires will be fought in a port dock or harbour in comparatively shallow water If the ves sel settles on the bottom in an ebbing situation there will be an upward force exerted on the hull which will have the effect of raising the ship s cen tre of gravity and thereby making it less stable Should the ship ground on an uneven bottom its attitude in the water may well change This change in position will be determined by the shape of the hull whether the ship is in list or loll the state of the tide and general weather conditions 4 9 Stability Procedures Fire Officers attending ship fires should ascertain from ship s officers the stability of the vessel as soon as possible and preferably before fire fighting commences As a general principle it would be wise to assume that any fire fighting and boundary cooling water introduced into a ship will probably have an adverse effect on the vessel s stability and
108. ious damage to the machinery and cabins above See b below for machinery space fires in general b Fires in machinery spaces One of the main causes of fire in a machinery space is the leakage or accidental release of oil For example a pressurised oil pipe may split causing fine droplets of oil to be sprayed onto a hot mani fold which the ignites with a rapid build up of heat and smoke Usually if the fire is serious enough the Master will stop all machinery evacuate engine room staff close the doors and operate a CO2 or foam system This procedure often means how ever that all powered systems including fire pumps are closed down However the pump pow ered from the emergency generator may still be available If not firefighters would have to take their own pumps aboard or pump from the dock side A major problem with this type of fire is the diffi culty for firefighters to gain access to machinery spaces via ladders and platforms Photo s 5 14 5 15 and 5 16 They must never use engine room lifts to reach the area The normal means of access are the engine room ladder the boiler room lad der the shaft tunnel and the escape ladder aft accommodation ships Any close fitting doors may have warped in the heat and it may be necessary to use hydraulic spreaders rams or toe jacks to open them It may also be necessary to cut holes in bulkheads Personnel and equipment must be kept clear of air intakes where m
109. ip s main group and the Fire Brigade officer at the FCP is essential h Electrical supplies The Fire Brigade normally expect all electrical supplies to an installation on fire to be isolated This is seldom practicable in a warship fire However when there is a risk of voltages in excess of 440 the equipment should be isolated It must be noted that attempts at maintaining a keep alive policy may be counter productive when compared with the savings in damage through quick extinc tion of the fire i Use of Breathing Apparatus and Control Ship s staff BA controllers should continue to con trol ship s personnel using BA at the same time maintaining the closest possible liaison with the Fire Brigade Should the firefighting measures be assigned to the Fire Brigade overall co ordination of all BA wearers is to be exercised by the Fire Brigade incident commander of firefighting opera tions It should be noted that in RN and RFA pro cedures a smoke boundary is defined and BA dressing start up will be as close as possible to this point whether or not this is above or below deck Marine Incidents 83 j Features affecting firefighting operations Firefighters should note that the lightweight alloy metals used extensively in the superstruc ture of RN ships will fail quickly in fires and that bulkheads employing them may therefore not act as effective barriers The Manual Part 6c dis cusses metal fires in
110. it is a wise practice to encourage the general taking of medical precautions rather than a firefighter become ill when wearing BA and when others are relying on them Photo 6 9 RNLI Lifeboat Essex Fire and Rescue 100 Fire Service Manual ee i r AR atl Meat Se NPs Marine Incidents Chapter Chapter 7 Dangerous Substances on Ships and in Port Areas 7 1 General The carriage of dangerous substances by ships is increasing Apart from fires there are currently about 300 incidents a year involving dangerous substances on ships and these are mostly normal chemical incidents There are however the added complications of usually quite large quantities possible mixed cargoes pollution dangers deci sions on berthing and movement of tides Incidents may also occur at port installations dur ing loading unloading or storage Brigades will have included such factors in their pre planning and should implement the normal routines for dealing with such incidents bearing in mind the points mentioned in this chapter Dangerous goods carried on inland waterways are dealt with in Chapter 8 nuclear submarines are mentioned in Chapter 5 a Ships The Merchant Shipping Dangerous Goods and Marine Pollutants Regulations 1997 which are designed to implement the provisions of the SOLAS recommendations lay down the statutory requirements for the carriage of dangerous goods on UK ships and on
111. itime Search and Rescue SAR within the United Kingdom Search and Rescue Region UKSRR This includes the mobilisation organi sation and tasking of adequate resources to respond to persons either in distress at sea or to persons at risk of injury or death on the cliffs or shoreline of the United Kingdom It follows therefore that HM Coastguard is the authority responsible for the initiation and co ordination of firefighting and rescue at sea A Memorandum of Understanding was jointly agreed between HM Coastguard and local Fire Authorities in 1994 to establish where appropri ate firefighting chemical hazard and rescue teams as Declared Facilities for Search and Rescue SAR Any such arrangements which generally prevail between the Maritime and Coastguard Agency MCA and Fire Authorities do not form any contractual relationship and the MCA should liaise with individual Fire Authorities to establish the extent to which the arrangements contained in the Memorandum of Understanding are to apply Declared Facilities are facilities which are desig nated as being available for civil maritime SAR according to a specific standard or set criteria Each fire authority declaring facilities is responsi ble for Declaring the standard of capability and availability for each facility Maintaining each facility to the declared standard Informing HM Coastguard when there is any change in the declar
112. l establish a training package or include special sessions to ensure that personnel are properly pre pared for what is generally considered one of the more arduous aspects of firefighting Training for port based incidents would involve the general principles of strategy and tactics of ship firefighting which if the brigade was likely to be called upon for off shore incidents would need to be extended to cover the particular prob lems encountered in getting to the ship on fire and working in limited isolation a Training for Ship Firefighting in Port One of the most important training aspects for ship fire fighting is wearing Breathing Apparatus in heat and humidity on a regular basis This can be further enhanced where there is access to a steel compartment BA chamber so that the proper effects of a ship fire can be re created Photo 10 1 The use of guide lines and multiple entry points is also valuable training as it is often necessary to simultaneously enter a ship on differ ent decks and from different directions Ship construction covering the types of ves sels regularly visiting the port needs to be includ ed both as basic class room sessions and practical visits A good knowledge of the terms used to describe parts of a ship and actions on a ship save a lot of misunderstandings when dealing with a ship s crew members 3 Whilst firefighters will usually endeavour to use their own equipment on ship fires
113. ld not be used since it would have the same effects e g it may produce dangerous gases or cause certain cargoes to swell Explosives may be rendered unstable by steam If steam is used intermittently and not consistently a vacuum may result this will give rise to a rush of air which could worsen the situation Air may also be sucked in during earlier stages of the operation when the steam is being condensed to water Steam will cause almost as much damage to cargoes etc as water Marine Incidents 37 Firefighters are unlikely to use steam themselves but the officer in charge may in certain circumstances ask the ship s Master to arrange for this to be done b Water Ships are fitted with pumps and fire mains to meet the requirements as laid down in SOLAS Provided throughout the length of the fire mains are hydrants where one can connect the ships fire hoses and so direct water onto the area affected by fire The fire mains on deck may in the Merchant Navy be known as wash deck pipes and used for such purposes The mains are fitted with deliv eries from which water can be supplied via hose lines to the holds and other parts of the ship On British ships the outlets are standard size female instantaneous coupling but on foreign ships they may vary All ships of 1 000 tonne or over however should carry an international shore connection This should enable water from a fire tug or the land to be supplie
114. lementary powers of fire authorities contained in Section 3 of The Fire Services Act 1947 by the addition sub section dd which gives fire authori ties power to employ its fire brigade maintained by them or use any equipment so maintained at sea whether or not within the territorial sea of the United Kingdom While the duty of a fire authority to make provi sion for fire fighting purposes relates to the author ity s own area see Chapter 3 Section 1 a there is nothing to prevent a fire authority employing its fire brigade to tackle a fire in a ship at sea outside that area Each fire authority either individually or jointly with neighbouring brigades will having consid ered the implications of section 1 a of the 1947 Fire Services Act and section 3 1 dd the amendment under the Merchant Shipping and Maritime Security Act 1997 of the same Act and determined the extent to which its brigade should undertake firefighting and rescue operations at sea Participation of individual firefighters in opera tional incidents at sea is generally carried out on a voluntary basis but some prior commitment is usually necessary to establish off shore contin gency personne strength b H M Coastguard H M Coastguard has the statutory duty under the Coastguard Act 1925 by Order of the Secretary of State for Transport laid before parliament on 9th March 1992 for the initiation and co ordination of civil mar
115. less on those engaged in coastal traffic There may be oil fuel and water ballast tanks at their sides more especially towards the ship s centre More modern ships tend to have their machinery towards the stern Figure 1 6 older ones towards the centre but this does not affect the general principles of the design Normally each hold is separated from adjoining spaces by watertight steel bulkheads running across the ship any openings in these being fitted with watertight doors On the simplest ships each hold is a single compartment between two bulk heads extending from the inner bottom to the upper deck On more complex ships there are addi tionally one or more intermediate or tween decks some of which may exist between certain bulk heads only Tween decks may themselves have longitudinal bulkheads running on the centre line Figure 1 2 Sections through three common types of cargo ship Hatchway SINGLE DECK SHIP of the ship or other means of sub division In a few vessels the transverse across the width of the ship bulkheads between the holds do not extend as far as the upper deck but terminate at the one below The upper deck is known in such a case as the shelter deck and the space immediately below it is known as the shelter tween decks Figure 1 2 This is essentially an open area but may have some means of partitioning if desired There are various superstructures above the upper most continuous deck
116. m of ship inert gas system 1 8 Chemical and Gas Carriers a Bulk chemical carriers The bulk carriage of chemicals is now extensive Some of the chemicals carried are harmless but others are highly dangerous they may be easily flammable with a low ignition temperature they may also be toxic corrosive or harmful in some other respect The construction of chemical carriers must take account of these dangers Figure 1 16 Some ships are specifically designed to carry one chemical and are generally quite small More common however are the large parcel tankers which can carry a number of different chemicals at the same time The International Maritime Organisation IMO has drawn up a code of safety provisions to which all chemical carriers should conform A major provision is that all chemicals except those in the safest category must be carried in tanks located away from the sides and bottom of the ship certain minimum distances are specified for this purpose There are also requirements on cargo separation Cargoes which react dangerous ly with other cargoes should be separated from Deck seal oe a oe them by a coffer dam void space pump room empty tank or mutually compatible cargo They should have separate pumping and piping systems which unless encased in a tunnel should not pass through other tanks containing chemicals that might react and they should have separate ventila tion systems The tanks in whic
117. n incident Some brigades will have local contacts with the Agency Region covering their area Photo 3 1 Fire Tugs at Humberside Photo 3 2 Fire Tugs at a marine terminal It is not possible to identify all types of incident which the Environmental Agency should be advised of but the following is an example of some of which the Agency would like to be informed 4 pump incidents with 2 or more jets in use Spillages of Hazchem listed chemicals Spillages of low hazard products with pol luting potential B Petrol spillages greater than 100 litres Other oil spillages greater than 25 litres Incidents involving the use of foam car fires excluded Exercises involving foam unless in desig nated test area Major incidents in areas known to be on a combined drainage system Incidents by near a water course Incidents at Agency identified risk sites Incidents where the Local Authority Major Incident plan is activated Marine Incidents 5 l Incidents involving hazardous flytipped materials Incidents involving radioactive materials Lists of low hazard materials and quantities which may present a pollution potential are shown in the full MOU or can be obtained from the local regional agency office An Environmental Agency officer may attend such incidents but is unlikely to be present in the early stages of an incident Incident Commanders should bear in mind the possible
118. n of individual member states to enforce these standards as far as their own ships are concerned by introducing relevant national legislation After consultation and agreement between individual member states a standard subsequently becomes mandatory for the shipping of them all National legislation then becomes compulsory Voluntary compliance with SOLAS requirements by shipping owners and others in advance of legislation is of course always possible UK law has already given effect to a number of current or earlier SOLAS requirements as through various Statutory Instruments which lay down rules concerning ship construction life sav ing appliances firefighting equipment means of escape etc Current legislation includes 1998 No 1012 Merchant Shipping Fire Protection Large Ships Regulations 1998 1998 No 1011 Merchant Shipping Fire Protection Small Ships Regulations 1998 The schedules detail for these regulations are contained in merchant shipping notices MSN 1665 M Fire fighting equipment MSN 1666 M Fixed fire detection alarm and extinguishing systems MSN 1667 M Passenger ships fire integrity of bulkheads decks and ventilation ducts MSN 1668 M Fire integrity of bulkheads decks and ventilation ducts MSN 1669 M Special fire safety measures for ships carrying dangerous goods MSN 1670 M Exemptions Further details to be found in Instructions for the Guidance of Surveyors
119. n the category of RO RO ships The non passenger carrying type of RO RO ship is dealt with in Section 1 5 above Private vehicles may be stowed in two tiers at the sides with large commercial vehicles in the centre At the after end of the ship is a short partition containing various services In contrast to bulk car carriers there is reasonable headroom and movement between vehicles is not impossible The main car decks have no bulkheads and are like large hangars with side mezzanine decks Access to them when the doors are closed is via stairs and sliding doors from the upper decks On some ships the top deck which is open may be used for commercial vehi cles carrying dangerous substances Chapter 7 Some dangerous goods are allowed to be carried below decks on these vessels SS St SF EEM og ooo gad Main i l Passengers E i C engine room Tanks Le Tanks ri kik Heeling tanks Pump room Stabilizer fins Heeling tanks Figure 1 22 Typical car and passenger ferry There may be two or three car decks plus moveable mezzanine decks Marine Incidents 2g fi i Wnt ass oy ST rtry There may be first class cabins at boat deck level second class are usually below the car decks for ward of the engine space Access to cabins is nor mally via enclosed stairs from the promenade deck At various levels there will be public facili ties such as the restaurants b
120. ncident On the Thames the area is divided into two zones above and below Crayfordness Above the main control is the Thames Barrier Navigation Centre at Woolwich below it is the Thames Navigation Service Office at Gravesend There is also a need for forward controls These should be the normal fire police and ambulance control units on the quayside or they could be on board vessels such as fire tugs or marine police Marine Incidents AY launches or in some cases on the actual ship involved Wherever they are they must be read ily identifiable Other minor controls will also operate for BA equipment casualties stability etc and a comprehensive system of communica tions 1s essential e Communications The main problem in a situation of this type is the proliferation of wavelengths call stgns and equip ment used The usual solution is to utilise one or two marine radio channels normally channel 10 or 16 These should be decided upon during the pre planning process then aS soon as an incident occurs they can be taken over and strictly con trolled The emergency service control units that attend port incidents are usually fitted or equipped with this type of radio system as are fire tugs fire boats and most other vessels f Language difficulties It is quite common for firefighters to arrive at a ship and find that no English or very little 1s spo ken This can cause real problems and the aid of an inter
121. nd less commonly bulkheads Although protected by watertight gas tight valves these valves are often difficult to operate in an emergency therefore the potential for fast smoke Spread must not be overlooked All ships have the facility to crash stop their vent fans in a matter of seconds from the Ship Control Centre SCC The extensive use of alloys and modern techniques makes possible considerable addition to the super structure Electrical and mechanical systems are very complex and naval vessels are generally more comprehensively equipped with portable and fixed firefighting apparatus than their merchant navy counterparts Apart from magazines and weapons storage areas they are also likely to have less flammable material aboard A unique system for the identification of compartments in RN warships is briefly described below Basically decks divide the ship horizontally from the weather deck to the inner bottom including the superstructure Main transverse bulkheads divide the ship lengthwise into main sections Minor transverse bulkheads further divide these main sections Longitudinal fore and aft bulkheads many in large ships few in small ships also divide the main sections For convenience a main transverse bulkhead and hence a main section 1s assumed to continue upwards to the top of the Structure even though it may actually finish at a lower deck Similarly deck levels are in most cases assumed to be continuo
122. ng and unloading tankers in preference to flexible pipes they usually have a means of automatic shut off and disconnection An opening in a deck perhaps to a cargo hold with a raised coaming and means of being closed and made watertight The term hatchway refers to inside the open hatch Of a ship to lean to one side as the result of external force An empty space within a vessel used for the carriage of cargo The main body of a ship excluding superstructure masts etc Inter Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation the earlier name of IMO International Maritime Organisation a specialised agency of the United Nations existing to provide means for co operation and the exchange of information among governments on technical Marine Incidents 123 Inclinometer Jacob s Ladder Keel Lee side Lighter Liner List LNG Loll LPG Magazine Manifest MCA Master Mast house Monkey Island MSDGR 124 Fire Service Manual matters relating to international shipping with special regard to safety at sea and the prevention of pollution An instrument for measuring the angle of inclination of a ship A rope ladder with wooden rungs Sometimes called a Pilot s ladder The lowest part of a ship forming the backbone on which it is built The side of a ship away from the wind A cargo carrying barge which may take cargo from a ship to make it lighter SEABEE and LASH ships carry light
123. nger of re ignition passed Water should be used for the external cooling of plates but not allowed to enter tanks Any system for inerting tanks should remain in operation if undamaged to protect those which are unaffected Firefighters should of course attempt to discover which tanks are full and which are empty as soon as possible in order to give priority to cooling full tanks The ship s loading officer should know the current position c Other fires Apart from tank fires there may also be fire in the superstructure Firefighters should tackle this with water in the usual manner They must take care however that water does not fall onto and break up any foam blanket which they may have applied at a lower level Oil leaking from a tank or floating on the water whether ignited or not should be broken up by powerful jets By the cooling down and separation of the oil any fire will be extinguished or made less likely and fire spread from patch to patch will be prevented d Other considerations There may with the largest tankers be particular problems in reaching the ship and getting aboard Chapter 6 discusses the general question of access When on the ship firefighters should remember that it is rare to be able to rely completely on the ship s firefighting installations Some systems run over the top of tanks and are often damaged in an initial explosion o _ 5 11 Passenger Ships a General p
124. nior Fire Brigade officer to undertake fire fighting operations At that point command and control of such operations will be formally dele gated to the Senior Fire Brigade officer in atten dance Close and effective liaison should be main tained throughout the period of the incident c Ship Safety Notwithstanding the involvement of the Fire Brigade the RN RFA Commanding officer or des ignated representative retains full overall responsi bility for the safety of the ship The senior fire offi cer should therefore take full account of any advice received from the ship s officer responsible in respect of ship safety and firefighting tactics prior ities and ship stability It is important to recognise that the main priority on RN RFA vessels is ship safety and that during the initial consultations between the Fire Brigade and the Ship s Officer responsible for Safety a decision might have to be made as to whether search and rescue operations are required in preference to firefighting actions The need to ensure continuity in firefighting operations throughout the incident is stressed d Communications It is essential that effective communications are established and maintained between fire control quayside HQ1 and the forward control point FCP throughout the period of the incident The Fire Brigade will normally use their own commu nications systems but these may prove inadequate in a warship environment and in
125. nks which stand alone when empty but expand to be supported by the insulation when full or d independent self supporting metal tanks with a single or double wall not forming part of the hull In shape they may be cylindrical spherical or straight sided or conform to the contours of the hull and their loca tion may be in the holds or on the decks side by side or on the centre line or in pairs to port and starboard Figure 1 17 The vessel may also have topside wing tanks usually to carry water ballast Figure 1 17 General arrangement of LPG carrier In view of the low boiling point of the liquefied gas cargoes have to be carried under more than atmospheric pressure under refrigeration or under a combination of the two Figures 1 18 and 1 19 Refrigeration may be as low as 50 degrees C in the case of LPG carriers and 164 degrees C in LNG carriers In the latter the cargo tanks have to be insulated not only to prevent cargo evaporation Motor room Trimming tank Fore peak ballast Marine Incidents 23 Engine compartment S TLL eee Dera a ARSY KKL rere raat tA tadeed rete and pressure build up within them but also to pro tect the rest of the ship s steel structure against low temperature embrittlement Balsa polyurethane foam perlite and polystyrene foam are some of the materials used for this purpose Figure 1 20 These ships are usually e
126. nt precautions must be taken against the displacement of hot gases and Marine Incidents 73 when injection is complete firefighters should ensure that all openings are closed b Use of Foam When considering the use of foam it is well to note the type of foam which may already have been in use either by the actuation of the ship s fixed installation or applied by the crew using hand applicators The use of either low medium or high expansion foam will depend on the cargo involved or the sit uation or both Of the three types of foam low and medium expansion foams are the more common foams found in ships fixed installations as both types require smaller generators than that required for producing high expansion foam The advan tages of both of these foams are the equipment is more mobile and can therefore be used in more restricted spaces the foam is wetter and heavier than high expansion foam and is therefore less affected by air currents the foam produced can be projected over a longer distance The advantages of high expansion foam are great quantities can easily and quickly be generated for filling large areas it requires less water than jets or other foams therefore reducing damage to cargo it absorbs heat helps stop fire spread and provides a shield for firefighters it does not affect a ship s stability in the same way as water When deciding on foam application
127. ntified Some of the measures and techniques which should be covered in training are listed below Ship construction including fire protection and firefighting provision Stability Methods of boarding personnel and equipment by sea Safety on board Marine Incidents l 17 Photo 10 1 BA train ing Ship facility Lothian and Borders Photo 10 2 EA ee ti Wa dale Exercising abandon E le A p A BA A P i Ship by Kent fire 4 ee A oe ties ALE fg Aa Sie fighters Photo 10 3 Routine exercising with helicopter and tug Kent Fire Brigade Kent Fire Brigade Photo 104 left Shows route to fire marked by coloured tape A Mechen Photo 10 5 below Shows long pier access to moored vessels Associated Petroleum terminals Immingham Specialist firefighting techniques Practical ditching training Emergency evacuation procedures Survival training including swimming including use of lifeboats likely to be found on board ship Photo 10 2 Communications systems including marine band radio operator training Heat and humidity training This list is not comprehensive and Training in the use of helicopters including brigades will use a risk assessment to help safety procedures boarding and disembark determine their training needs ing of personnel and equipment and winching drill Photo 10 3 J amp i 8 Fire Service Manual Marine Inci
128. o notify them routinely of 102 Fire Service Manual the cargoes of all bulk chemical carriers entering or leaving the port 7 3 Segregation of Dangerous Goods The IMDG Code sets out requirements for the segregation of incompatible dangerous goods from one another and from other goods such as foodstuffs on board ship Figure 5 1 Some of these requirements are based on distance and others on fire resistant decks and bulkheads There are no detailed guidelines for the segrega tion of goods in the port areas but the proposed DSHR will contain a general requirement for goods to be stored in a safe manner Storage areas do not usually have fire resistant partitions but do have the space for distance segregation 74 Emergency arrangements by Port Authorities It will be a requirement for port authorities to make plans for dealing with emergencies under the DSHR although in all probability this will already have been done Such plans must include not only the control of the ships carrying the dangerous substances but also the storage and handling etc the means of escape for people from the berth methods of communication with the emergency services and effective means of warning people in the vicinity The plans should be set up in co operation with the emergency services further details are given in Chapter 3 Section 3 7 5 Dealing with the Incident a On ships Procedures for dealing with a shipping incident involving d
129. of a land system In addition some ships are fitted with high pres sure water fog systems designed to extinguish fire by flame inhibition cool surfaces and emulsify any spilt oil c Carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide as already noted is usually sup plied from a battery of cylinders in a dedicated CO room from where it is hard piped to the area to be protected It may be activated from the CO room or from at least one other position well sep arated from the other actuation point It is injected into the protected area through nozzles fitted under the deck Figure 2 1 There are control valves on the different pipes leading to nozzles and these carry an indication of which compartment they feed There is often an installation dealing primar ily with fires under boiler room floor plates where oil fuel is employed An audible warning should sound when the gas 1s about to be released into any working space Should the vessel be in port and the CO released into the protected space additional gas may be available via road tankers d Foam The fixed deck foam system or acceptable equiv alent prescribed for large tankers and combination carriers see above and also found on some other vessels e g chemical carriers should have its main control station in a readily accessible area outside the protected zone and be able to deliver foam over the whole cargo tanks area and into any tank or hold of which the deck has ruptured T
130. ol these rails during a fire Some containers are fitted with refrigera tion motors whilst others have flexible piping to the ship s refrigeration system Holds may be insulated for the carriage of refrigerated containers Should any containers on the ship s deck be or become unsecured they could move dangerously On partial container ships used also for the carriage of cars etc low deckheads and car lashings can hinder access to the containers Initial access to the ship might be difficult because of the high freeboard and usually the single gangway A ship s CQ installation if fitted could be used as the first measure against a fire but the holds are very large and there might be insufficient supplies to be effective An alternative is to flood the holds with high expansion foam or in the last resort water although this may take some time With LASH ships and barge aboard ships the best course if the fire is confined to one particular barge or lighter is to have the affected barge or lighter removed if possible and to deal with it separately after opening up 5 8 Ro Ro Ships including Ferries a General Ro Ro ships vary according to their use A bulk car carrier may hold several thousand cars whereas a ferry could be carrying as many as 500 vehicles and 1 500 people Details of the layout of the two types of Ro Ro ship are given in Chapter 1 b Evacuation of passengers Obviously when
131. oling the outside may remove heat from the inside provided as with accommodation areas the bulkheads are not heav ily insulated Aluminium structures may quickly collapse in a fire unless they are copiously cooled with water If access to the area of fire 1s not possible by the usual openings in decks or bulkheads it may be necessary to cut through a vertical bulkhead in order to approach the fire from a different point This is however time consuming and not neces J2 Fire Service Manual Photo 5 7 Gaining access at lower level Merseyside Fire Brigade sarily effective Cuts must not be made in the hull of the ship as subsequent listing could bring these holes under the water and cause the ship to capsize or sink A check should also be made to ensure that there are no existing openings which could have this effect see Chapter 4 When a cut is made firefighters must bear in mind the possibi lity of there being water behind the bulkhead concerned They should cut from the bottom up so that the cutting tool is always above any escaping water and they should take care that large amounts of water are not released suddenly in such a way as to trap them The cut should be above where the plates are hottest Water spray can be very effective in a ship fire especially for cooling ship s plates in order to pre vent them bulging and possibly fracturing Spray is also useful in tackling cargoes such as grain which i
132. olume 1 A Guide for Senior Officers ISBN O 11 3412185 Volume 2 A Guide for Fire Service Managers ISBN 0 11 341220 7 Volume 3 A Guide to Operational Risk Assessment ISBN O 11 341218 5 Volume 4 Dynamic Management of Risk at Operational Incidents ISBN O 11 341221 5 Fire Service Manuals Firefighting Foam ISBN 0 11 341186 3 Petrochemicals ISBN O 11 341227 4 Communications ISBN O 11 341185 5 Marine Incidents PA Acknowledgements HM Fire Service Inspectorate is indebted to all who helped with the provision of information expertise and validation to assist the production of this manual In particular 128 Allan E Mechen Grad IFE Captain F G M Evans BA FNI Grad FE Master Mariner Cert Ed Captain Robert G Stollery Marine Consultant Commander B Lambert RN SDO Martin Muckett MBA MIFireE MIOSH EUR ING Mike Pinder B Sc C ENG F I MECH E F R I N A Vice President of the Hovercraft Society P amp O Stena Line Stephenson Clarke Shipping Ltd Furness Withy amp Company Ltd Cunard Osprey Maritme Europe Ltd Crescent Ship Management Ltd The Harboour Masters Assoc of UK the Channel Islands and Isle of Man The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company P amp O European Ferries Irish Sea Ltd HM Coastguard The Royal Institute of Naval Architects The Environment Agency Fire Check Consultants Fire Service Manual British Waterways Royal Navy Phoenix NBCD school H M S
133. or mal operational boundaries of a brigade may not result in a successful salvage claim by the brigade as it may be argued that the brigade is performing its proper duty under the 1947 Act See Section 3 1 a above Marine Incidents Marine Incidents Chapter 4 Stability 4 1 General The officer in charge of firefighting operations must constantly bear in mind the stability of the ship This can be affected by various factors in particular the amount and position of water put on board for firefighting the amount and position of water pumped out from parts of the ship The movement of cargo etc from one part of the ship to another Stability 1s a complex subject and to assess pre cisely the stability of a ship at any given time and the exact effects different actions have on it involves complicated calculations The ship s offi cers are the experts and the incident commander should liaise closely with them as they determine the relevant information on the weight of water and the area where it 1s acting movement of cargo ballast fresh water and fuel oil Most ship Classification Societies such as Lloyds ABS DNV etc would also have their computer damage control teams The teams were set up pri marily to deal with stress stability and pollution problems in the event of a collision grounding or explosion but could equally be utilised in a fire flooding incident These are office based
134. orting shores during firefighting or even afterwards 9 2 Historic Ships Interest in maritime heritage has resulted in the restoration of many famous vessels which subse quently become floating or dry dock museums Usually such vessels represent a particular era in the country s maritime history and often no other example exists Whilst such vessels do not present the risks generally associated with sea going ves sels the type of construction and age of the vessels present unusual situations for firefighters Some historic vessels are constructed of timber some of steel and some are a combination of both Photo s 9 4 and 9 5 There may be some form of fire main on the ship but this may depend to some extent on whether such a facility would detract from historic originality Extinguishers and or hose reels are Photo 9 4 Replica of Historic ship Marine Incidents 111 Al more likely to be found The forms of construction are quite varied and are not included in this manu al However where historic vessels are found the host brigade should ensure that firefighters visit the ships frequently to familiarise themselves with the type of construction and any special features which might have to be borne in mind should fire occur on the ship 9 3 Floating Restaurants etc On some rivers or harbour areas will be found ves sels converted for use as clubs restaurants or house boats Photo 9 6 The vessel
135. payable from the value of the property restored to its owners To claim to have salvaged a vessel the claimant must be qualified to take control of the vessel overcome the danger to the vessel and bring it safely to a place of safety The contractual arrangements for the salvor to take control of a vessel is the Lloyds Open Form LOF which allows that the salvor only gets paid if the salvage operation is successful and the vessel and cargo are taken to an agreed place of safety The LOF agree ment is a proven system which allows a speedy response from owners agents and insurers so that the salvors can get on with the job Any subsequent dispute over the salvage is settled by arbitration It is doubtful whether a fire brigade could actually salvage a vessel on its own as there is unlikely to be anyone qualified to take charge of the vessel and bring it to an agreed place or likely that any harbour authority would allow such a person to even attempt such an operation within the area that it controls The more likely situation is one where the brigade provides a service to the owners or the salvors for which a claim for remuneration is made Any such contractual agreement would need to be considered by the fire authorities legal department prior to the brigade declaring its ser vices for off shore firefighting so that incident commanders know how to deal with the situation should it arise Any ship fire being tackled at sea within the n
136. pe ee Issued under the authority of the Home Office Fire and Emergency Planning Directorate ve e 5 BN _a gt l Ey e oe ta z i az ES i AS SLTH 7 fa s 1 eo amp An mes Aves ht OFPrrri rrr re REN dam aa Ea p kA PE Ei On IA j rcs a Pee a eM PC wy re Set hF i ii ma ai E Fe ee m a W n i N T E 5 _ F ae Om Oe eee ee tt af gt lt _ tem Ff ha pbt FE Jh Jh mm h prh T h eo ag Frere i WF Tee Ag ao eo k M A T a oo E e 4 E Er F Marine Incidents OO A l al F HM Fire Service Inspectorate Publications Section FIRE SERVICE COLLEGE LIBRARY amp INFORMATION RESOURCE CENTRE RETURN OR RENEW ON OR BEFORE THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW 2 RENEWALS MAX FINES ARE PAYABLE ON ANY ITEMS RETURNED LATE THE FIRE SERVICE COLLEGE LIBRARY MORETON IN MARSH GLOUCESTERSHIRE GL56 ORB 01608 812050 _library fireservicecollege acn MUKE 1 We aE GLOUCESTERSHIRE GL56 0RH 01608 650831 Ext 338 e uk org fscoll02 fsc fire UeTT Issued under the authority of the Home Office Fire and Emergency Planning Directorate Fire Service Manual Volume 2 Operations Marine Incidents LIBRARY e JUL 1999 FIRE stKVivt UULLEGE MORET ON IN MARSH GLOS GLO6 ORH The Fire Service nn HM Fire Service Inspectorate Publications Section London The Stationery Office
137. pe route for passengers and crew and therefore are fully insulated as well as being protected by fire doors on each deck The public rooms on the ship showrooms cine mas theatres bars dining rooms restaurants and their adjoining kitchens are generally large spaces Photo 1 16 There are also longitudinal working alleyways on some lower decks which give access to crew accommodation store rooms refrigerators and machinery spaces to allow the efficient movement of stores spares and crew Passenger ships are a high fire risk with a large amount of passenger rooms and facilities The 30 Fire Service Manual overall pattern of rooms and corridors can be very complex Decorations furnishings and fittings are generally elaborate and in older ships may be flammable Panelling and false ceilings create air space which can promote fire spread though reg ulations require the fitting of draft stops above these ceilings and the fitting of smoke or heat detectors in these spaces It is also in these spaces that the cabling and pipework will be carried The principal fire risk areas on a passenger ship are the machinery spaces the laundry and galleys kitchens crew and passenger Conduction of heat by the steel or aluminium structure can assist the spread of fire Current regulations require fire alarms and detection systems throughout the ship together with sprinklers at deckhead level c High Speed Craft H
138. pecial safety requirements regard ing the stowage of explosives and the type and quantity that may be carried b In port areas In addition to the considerations applicable to ships generally there are several specific points which should be noted in connection with port incidents Where vessels carrying dangerous substances are berthed the berth operator must provide adequate means of escape from the berth e g duplicate gangways to jetty or shore He should bear in mind the possibility of smoke or fumes or perhaps burn ing material on the water in deciding what provi sions to make If dangerous conditions exist on a vessel the num bers of personnel on board should be kept to the minimum Any passengers should of course be evacuated and the main fire crews kept at readi ness on the quayside or as near as is considered safe According to the proposed DSHR however the Master of a vessel carrying certain dangerous substances must have his vessel in a constant state of readiness to move tidal conditions permitting For this purpose he is expected to ensure that there is sufficient crew and supervising officers avail able on board at all times How this apparent clash of requirements 1s to be resolved is a further point for discussion in the pre planning stage Pollution of harbour or dock waters is also strictly controlled and brigade personnel should try to prevent any pollutant entering the water The Department of
139. perated by the ship s crew otherwise firefight ers will have to rig their own tackle for hoisting Any hoisting of equipment from a transport ves sel to a stricken ship is fraught with dangers if either vessel is rolling Boxes of equipment or pumps could be smashed against the ship s side and damaged or lose the contents of boxes com pletely It might be better to abandon this form of transfer than risk the loss of equipment vital to any firefighting c Pumping If the ship s fire mains are out of action and there is no fire tug available the brigade will need to use its own pumps The amount of freeboard could preclude any lifting of water over the side of the ship but it may be possible to place a pump on a lower landing of the accommodation ladder or open a loading door lower down the ship s side Failing this pumps may have to be set in over the side of the tug or other vessel which has transport ed the equipment out and water relayed up to the deck of the stricken ship This could be reasonably easy in calm weather but even with only a slight swell running the task of keeping suctions sub merged engines and electrics dry and hose lines connected would be difficult Firefighters must remember that the Master of the ship may want to or indeed have to keep under way either to make port or at least maintain his position This will add to the problems d Stability The theory and problems of stability have al
140. point e g a position by the ship s inclinometer ensuring that the incident commander is aware of its position and establishing communications with him from there If the ship s inclinometer is inac cessible due to smoke or heat or is likely to become so the brigade s portable incli nometer should be set up in a prominent position on deck amidships Obtaining all the relevant information and completing the stability board an example of which is shown in Figure 4 9 The infor mation on this board should be up dated at intervals of about half an hour and the incident commander informed of any STABILITY BOARD eu EAC ae REMARKS ontcrelstiafandronr cralstafnmel Loc TN teMlartimMe oc mitrn art nme Lorn tedl A T id Pc t fponderdstafntn eml sretne toc ndarane oe enarh froc mfe e E EEE e io 2 E E r a M E A E A E a L A T EA EE ME 3 D T e T CET TU UL UT Se eee E 4 Teo _ Se EEE _ joe eg Pf tT T TTA RH ares ee al aay EL TEn ee ee a ee PE OSES eae TS 7 a ett eS Ps ey eee es ee a a Ee a SS Ss cs A ee i ee a ee ee et EEE 10 gE EER EEE wale Do i eee oe So el ee 2 nnn me Te ees eames w nie SEA ee eS E a k E ma Ss a ae TIME DRAUGHT per ea ee ri fos ke row PORT STARBOARD MENT Fone AFT rumelioc tn rowsfiomfTie Loc Tw tows fom TONS ee een a ee te ee ee O_o nee eee as SS re r A r A T ae es eee foe C TT S e 134 EO O oo a a ea e a a oo IE I
141. pply for several hours the quantity being limited only by the amount of diesel avail able Because of the plentiful supply inert gas can be used to flush a space thus removing oxygen and heat rather than just smothering This requires a small opening to be made diametrically opposite the injection point to allow the escape of flushed gases d Self smothering It may be that none of the above methods can be effectively employed because of inaccessibility or too hazardous a situation to employ firefighters Consideration should be given to the effects of doing nothing except sealing the compartment and monitoring the adjacent bulkheads decks and deckheads This option can be time consuming and may require boundary cooling Ship s officers should be consulted as to the likely effects of this course of action 5 5 Ventilation Ventilating a fire on a ship is both difficult and unless carefully monitored may cause further fire spread If the ship has a ventilation system the ship s officers may have already turned it off com pletely or if it is possible turned off that area cov ering the incident It is generally a wise precaution to ensure that where installed ventilation systems are turned off certainly until the extent of the fire is determined Ventilation may be required for the removal of smoke to enable firefighters to check more thor oughly for any hot spots In such circumstances the incident commander will need to
142. preter would be invaluable Some brigades have permanent arrangements for calling upon local colleges and universities for assistance 3 4 Use of Fire and Salvage Tugs Launches etc There are only a few purpose built fireboats still in use in the UK but several fire authorities and some industries maintain or can call upon fire tugs In most cases these vessels are normally employed as ordinary tugs in the port area but are so equipped that they can be called to assist the brigade when required Photographs 3 1 and 3 2 are examples of fire tugs to be found in British ports Some tugs carry three monitors any two of which can deliver a total of 7 200 l min of water at 8 bar and also foam at approximately 12 100 l min Other facili ties include deck connections for hose and foam branches foam concentrate storage suction hose and an Aquator salvage pump with capacity of 800 tonne per hour Fire tugs come under the control of the senior fire brigade officer for firefighting purposes but the tug 50 Fire Service Manual master is in control of navigation and the safety of his vessel Brigades vary in their arrangements some preferring to put firefighters aboard to help operate the firefighting equipment and others leav ing it to the tug master to operate it with the advice of a fire brigade officer These tugs would be the obvious choice to put men and equipment aboard vessels lying at anchor but many fire authorities have made a
143. ps at quays or jetties Approaching a ship at a quay or jetty can be haz ardous especially at night Some jetties can extend half a kilometre off shore There are not always facilities for driving appli ances down to the ship and firefighters may have to walk carrying equipment along narrow walk ways which may be congested with pipelines valves switchboxes etc If these hazards cannot be illuminated crews should be led to and from the ship with lights Photo 10 5 It is common practice for smaller craft generally pleasure boats to lie alongside one another off jet ties Firefighters may have to clamber over two or three other vessels to reach an incident on an out lying one The difficulty of this manoeuvre will depend on the distance between the vessels the sea condi tions choppy swell etc the amount of freeboard and the extent of the general deck clutter but fire fighters should always exercise great care in pass ing from one vessel to another They must keep m o i i l i a M M am ee eee Sle Oe ee their hands and feet clear of the sides to avoid being crushed and should be careful in crossing gaps which are fluctuating in size Lifejackets should be worn at all times during the approach to the vessel involved 10 2 Training Where fire brigades have a significant port or ship ping risk or they are geographically suited to become involved in off shore fire fighting they wil
144. quipped with inert gas generators and the large types with fixed and mobile firefighting systems To cover the tanks and manifolds remotely controlled dry powder monitors may be installed plus handlines from 24 Fire Service Manual AN Figure 1 18 4 100 m semi pressurised fully refrigerated LPG Ethylene gas carrier Figure 1 19 TOP Pressurised ship 900 m capacity gas carrier BELOW Semi pressurised fully refrigerated LPG Ammonia carrier with 12 600 m capacity reai mobile Monnex dry powder units Such vulnerable areas as cargo tank domes compressor rooms and the front of the superstructure are protected by water spray systems CO2 or other inert gas sys tems could be found protecting the engine room and generator areas etc Only smaller coastal vessels carry fully pres surised cargoes in strong steel tanks larger vessels will be partially or fully refrigerated although there may be pressurised vessels on deck There i j Water ballast Insulation W ater ballast EOU U F u u r r er r r e eM ar a Ma Mice Pe are Section ie a invar steel membrane primary membrane Plywood box filled with Perlite primary insulation Invar tongues for attaching Invar strakes aban ative Inner hull steel at eter pce Plywood box filled with Perlite WEE BEES secondary insulation Bess ass Invar steel membrane een secondary membrane Detail Membr
145. r having an effect on the ship s stability as though the Upright Length of GZ lever Limit of stability j 90 Angle of Heel Capsizing lever Vessel A Upright Length of GZ in metres i Righting lever Limit of stability 90 f Capsizing lever Angle of Heel Vessel B Figure 4 7 Vessel A has good initial stability when inclined but does not have a very wide range of stability and is in centre of gravity had moved even higher a virtual rise in G This swinging effect of a free load is similar to free surface effect as a weight of water slops towards the low side when a ship rolls and keeps moving up the side of the compartment to make the ship roll even further and producing a virtual rise in the centre of gravity During firefighting water may collect in various compartments Free surface effect is due to sideways movement of weight in the surface of the liquid Free surface effect is the same whether it 1s high or low in the ship Free surface effect is dependent on the area of free surface and most importantly the breadth in relation to the size of the ship Weight of water low in the ship will increase stability but free surface effect will reduce it Weight of water high in the ship and the free surface effect will both reduce stability Upright Length of GZ in metres Angle of Heel Unevenly distributed w
146. rd the ship has reduced the number of fires but the lack of lifting equipment combined with diffi culties of access to the doors of the containers are what may cause operational problems with cargo fires on this type of vessel Some container ships are open topped and there are no hatches between the on deck cargo and the cargo below decks Containers are constructed to internationally agreed dimensions the standard sizes are 6 1 x 2 44 x 2 44 metres and 12 2 x 2 44 x 2 44 metres with a maximum carrying capacity of 20 and 30 tonne respectively Containers are usually made of mild steel stainless steel steel and aluminium alloy fibreglass or combinations of these materi als They vary considerably in design apart from the standard models for miscellaneous cargoes there are insulated and refrigerated containers open top models bulk models and tank models Figure 1 7 and Photo s 1 2 and 1 6 They may be of single or double wall construction Containers may be found on road vehicles rail ways Stacked in ports or at cargo handling centres or factories Container ships range in size from very large ocean going vessels Photo s 1 1 and 1 4 which may carry over 6 000 containers to smaller feeder vessels which carry containers to and from the major ports in the area and there are ships which have only part of their capacity for carrying con tainers the rest being Ro Ro or conventional Cargo space b Features The
147. re familiarity and compatibility of the various types of installations adaptors fittings and outlets provided e Fires on vehicle decks On vehicle decks there will often be a serious problem of access because of the very restricted space between vehicles The degree of difficulty will depend on how the vehicles are loaded It may be necessary to partially unload a bulk car carrier to get at the area of the fire Firefighters must take extra care when vehicles are being moved by the cargo handlers Water jets and or spray will usually be sufficient to put out the fire Drainage on the vehicle decks is usually to run offs at the sides leading to the bilges but firefighters must be aware of the danger 7 8 Fire Service Manual of these being blocked The vehicle decks may well be fitted with drenchers which when operat ing will significantly help in restricting fire spread to other vehicles Any amount of surface water in large areas such as the vehicle decks could seri ously affect stability BA may need to be worn depending on how far firefighters have to penetrate Some commercial vehicles carried on ferries may contain dangerous substances Such substances must be notified to the ship owner or Master before being taken on board and the vehicles con cerned are usually isolated in a particular area e g all aft or all forward on the lower deck or on the top deck in the open air Details should be easily obtainable see C
148. re not entirely suitable for carrying bulk cargoes such as grain ore or coal Special bulk carriers have therefore been devel oped for the transport of such goods There are four main types as described at a d below Those carrying more than one type of cargo are known as combination carriers a General bulk carriers These have a large cargo hold volume with large hatches having heavy watertight steel covers There should be a substantial ballast capacity Photo 1 11 Marine Incidents 25 Photo 1 11 Bulk Carrier Ore b Ore carriers These carry their cargo in narrow holds the inner bottoms of which are raised up to 4 metres above the keel The surrounding spaces or side tanks are sub divided and used to carry water ballast Ore Oil Coal Ore Oil Coal or Grain or Grain c Ore and Oil carriers O O These vessels can carry either oil or ore but not both together The holds are raised above the keel but not as far as on ore carriers The bulkheads are specially strengthened Hatch openings are oil Ore Oil Coal Ore Oil Coal or Grain 2 or Grain Figure 1 2 A bulk carrier showing lay out of holds and compartments and a typical division of cargo 26 Fire Service Manual tight Ore is carried in the centre holds with the wing and ballast tanks empty oil is carried in the holds and in the wing tanks The vessel has pipework and pumping systems similar to those of a crude carri
149. ready been dealt with in Chapter 4 and this will be the same at sea Close liaison between the Master the incident commander and his stability officer will be necessary Due to the possible tenderness of the ship deteriorating weather conditions etc the Master may want firefighting to stop The incident commander will have to abide by this decision until the Master considers it is safe to resume oper ations e Breathing apparatus control The relative isolation of the fire crews can cause problems of supply and not least of these in a pro longed attack is the recharging of BA sets One of the important aspects of pre planning is ensuring that once firefighting begins a continuous attack is sustained The initial supply of BA cylinders may well be used up in finding the fire and laying guide lines A rapid build up of BA supplies may be necessary because worsening weather condi tions may seem likely to preclude further supplies or at least to delay them Once on board the usual main BA control will be set up but the incident commander may think it necessary to have for ward controls on each deck of a large vessel The need for several safety BA crews will have to be taken into account on the reconnaissance when estimating numbers of personnel When working up and down vertical ladders or steep companion ways BA crews should not be attached to one another by personal lines but should be individual ly attached to the g
150. rinciples of attack The Brigade s Risk Assessment will take into account Type of vessel O Access Availability of supporting resources etc A typical first attendance at a fire might consist of four pumps and an emergency tender The crews should board with equipment including general purpose lines adaptors breathing apparatus Stage 2 BA boards thermal imaging cameras delivery hose and variable control branches On large ships they may be able to get jets to work from the ship s mains but they will usually obtain their supplies from shore based or water borne pumps If there is a sprinkler installation on the ship they should keep this in operation until the fire is extinguished or jets are in position On some vessels there may be ship s firefighting personnel and their advice should be sought on the fixed installations they can also offer guidance round the ship The incident commander will find it beneficial to assign personnel from his crews to be responsible for such areas as Stability see Chapter 4 Foam Water Staff duties Communications Breathing apparatus Other equipment supplies A firefighting bridgehead and BA entry control should be set up on each deck involved or adja cent to the fire b Effects of the ship construction and layout A passenger or cruise ship can be very complex in terms of the number and naming of its decks its corridors cabins public rooms service area
151. rrange fork lift truck training for fire fighters to enable them to be able to move cargo wearing BA when perhaps the atmosphere is uncomfortable or even toxic Where Breathing Apparatus is not required it may be best to ask stevedores to the job while leaving firefighters to Carry Out any necessary damping down When any cargo is being moved firefighters should watch it for signs of fire and keep a branch in position for use if necessary Particular care is necessary if equipment is used for moving cargo a grain conveyor belt for example can draw up a fire along with the grain Partially burnt bales should only be opened up away from the scene of Operations and any internal fire extinguished by covering jets _ 5 7 Container Ships LASH and Barge aboard Ships Containers are usually packed and sealed at the manufacturer s premises so provided that they remain intact there ts little chance of their contents being ignited by an external source whilst on board ship unless a fire becomes well established out side the containers and develops to involve them The most likely cause of a container fire 1s a reac tion between incompatible chemicals as a result of a leak An experiment in the Netherlands has shown that a container can usually contain a fire unless a running liquid is involved Containers may be allowed to burn out without opening if enough boundary cooling can be applied Some ships and fire brigades carry
152. rrangements with Harbour Masters HM Coastguard Marine police Conservancy boards etc for launches mooring vessels and various other craft to be made available for trans porting firefighters and equipment from specified embarking points to the moored ships 3 5 Pollution The possibility of pollution occurring at any inci dent involving vessels afloat loading unloading or of cargoes in dock areas needs to be considered The Environmental Agency has the responsibility in England and Wales for protecting the environ ment as a whole namely air land and water The relevant legislation being The Environment Protection Act 1990 The Environment Protection Act 1995 The Water Resources Act 1991 Radioactive Substances Act 1993 There are also other references in the Water Industries Act of 1991 and the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 A Memorandum of Understanding MOU between the Local Government Association and the Environmental Agency on Fire Service issues is in being and will be updated periodically to ensure effective co operation between Fire Brigades and the Environmental Agency The main aim of the MOU is to minimise the hazard to the environment from Fire Service activities includ ing firefighting and hazardous materials incidents and to encourage liaison and formulate preventa tive measures at the planning stage for special risk sites where there is the potential for pollution to occur during a
153. s b Locating the fire As in general firefighting the Incident Commander needs to be where he can be found easily to receive reports and to give instructions Photo 5 3 This is particularly so with ships as the honeycomb of decks corridors and spaces can make it easy to become disorientated and much time could be lost in trying to find an incident commander who has gone to look at the fire or T AA Photo 5 3 Forward Control liaison with Ship s officers check something instead of using other personnel to make the checks or enquiries for him Whether the incident commander locates himself at a for ward control point on the ship or at a main control on the quayside will depend on the circumstances of the incident lf the ship s fire defence systems are still live an examination of the fire detectors or sprinkler dis plays in conjunction with the ship s plans may well give a good indication of the location of the fire Photo 5 4 Similarly the presence of smoke its density and temperature whether being discharged from venti lators or other openings will provide further indi cations to help establish the fire s location All such intelligence should be assembled and analysed before committing BA teams to search for the fire If such intelligence points to a particular deck a BA team should enter at the most convenient position identified by reference to the ship s plans in consultation with the s
154. s There could be a need for local specialist reinforcement to a brigade s chemical data retrieval system as it is the results of the mixing and interaction plus possible fire which will need to be tackled cor rectly For example tanks often need washing out and it is not unknown for the washings to react Methanol is one substance used as a wash er and ts flammable and highly toxic it is there fore a hazard in itself even 1f it does not react with the contents of a tank As part of the preplanning arrangements it may be worthwhile to set up a System whereby the brigade 1s notified of the arrivals and departures of these ves sels with details of their cargoes especially where parcel tankers are concerned This information would be made available to the commander of the first attendance to an incident to enable him to have knowledge of the possible problems to be consid ered and assist in making the initial risk assessment b Dealing with an incident The immediate necessity after any rescues have been carried out will often be to protect the undamaged portion of the ship and the dockside risk The Master may have got his foam monitors water spray systems etc into action but much will depend on the competence of the crew the relia bility of the equipment and whether damage to the systems has left them ineffective Depending on the size of the incident it may be necessary to wait to accumul
155. s basic components are a water storage tank and a foam concentrate storage tank The release of gas from carbon dioxide cylinders expels water out of the one tank and through an inductor which draws into the stream concentrate from the other tank and deliv ers the solution to the foam generators Again the foam produced then passes from there to the spreaders via distribution piping if necessary Figure 2 3 Pre mixed type This system has a large tank containing foam solution In the event of a fire carbon dioxide is released into this tank from an attached cylinder or cylinders and drives the foam solution up a tube and along a pipe to the foam generators from where the foam is conveyed to spreaders Figure 2 4 High expansion foam High expansion Hi Ex foam where provided will generally be found as a fixed installation which will provide protection to an internal space this could be an engine room or other machinery spaces cargo pump room cargo hold or accom modation Hi Ex Foam has the advantage of using a very limited amount of water and generally will not damage machinery or internals within a cargo hold or accommodation block A further advantage is that the medium will not create a stability prob lem associated with large quantities of water Marine Incidents 39 Filling and inspection cove r NESANS Non return valve High pressure to top of tank
156. s etc Not only can it be difficult to locate the fire and easy to get lost but the long corridors and staircase and lift shafts can induce draughts which help fire spread A ship s officer should meet crews board ing a ship and escort them to the fire guides should be posted to direct later support or relief crews Care must be taken to ensure a line of retreat in the event of an emergency guide lines coloured tape may be helpful in this respect Passenger or cruise ships are divided by fire resistant and in some cases watertight doors and bulkheads see Chapter 1 Section 9 b The doors not being used for firefighting should be closed as soon as possible to confine heat and smoke and minimise fire spread Firefighters must not however place total reliance on these to act as fire stops Doors and bulkheads surrounding the fire should be examined regularly for signs of heating and cooled as necessary Watertight doors can be controlled from the bridge and careful liaison is necessary in order not to shut crews in or sever hose lines Firefighters should establish manual control of the operation of watertight doors where personnel are working As a further measure to stop fire spread it is usually desirable to have the ventilation system closed down Fire may spread between the ship s side and cabin walls via metal decking or behind panels and false ceilings through cable ducts and pipelines etc Firefighters should
157. s will probably have already given good service as functional sea 6 going or river pleasure craft and their life 1s extended by the conversion Such vessels are like ly to have had the engines removed or they are inoperable The conversion to meet the needs of the vessel s new role may not have been carried out to any marine construction standard or have attracted any requirements under the building reg ulations The degree of fire resistance of any new bulkheads linings or decorative finishes may not Photo 9 5 Historic sail training ship perform as well as firefighters would expect of ship construction However the standard may have been influenced to some extent for means of escape purposes if a drinks or gaming license has been obtained In such circumstances it can be expected that hose reels and hand extinguishers will be provided Very often this type of converted vessel is moored fairly close to road access for customers or members so it is probable that fire 0 hydrants will not be far away In fighting a fire on a vessel such as described the officer in charge would need to be aware that the large open spaces used for dining and dancing could present a stability problem free surface p CURU BeeeeeeeE area if jets are used without due consideration ii ent PREETI S see Chapter 4 lt ikl spe gmat Feehan pe i Aa ae ae wig te shar Si E om _ amp 4 Nad 4h s s
158. se lines injecting inert gas or other media ventilating or conversely battening down and turning the ventilation off The incident commander should give careful consideration to why these moves were made before advising to the contrary b Boarding the ship This can be problematical in relatively calm weather and very difficult in rough weather On a very large ship e g a VLCC the freeboard could be 20 25 metres Usually an accommodation ladder Photo 6 8 will have been lowered in readiness for the brigade to board but occasional ly if the crew have abandoned ship this may not have been done If a reconnaissance has been car ried out by helicopter and personnel put on board it may be possible to rig rope ladders and safety lines to help personnel to get onto the ship The ship s own Jacob s ladders sometimes adjacent to the ship s lifeboats may be used On no account should personnel be linked to each other by line even when mounting the accommodation ladder This ensures that if one firefighter slips others are not also dragged down 98 Fire Service Manual Photo 6 8 Shows accommodation ladder may be lowered to water level Kent Fire Brigade It will then be necessary to get equipment aboard If carried by helicopter this will be controlled by the air crew and man handled by the fire crew on deck If the equipment is transported by sea it may be possible to use the ship s crane or derrick o
159. shion of air which is surrounded by a flexible rubber skirt and this allows them to travel with the minimum resistance over many different surfaces As well as being used for passenger and vehicle ferries they are also used for military and coast guard duties for utility purposes and for flood or air crash rescue Light hovercraft weighing less than one tonne unladen are not restricted in the UK Al hover craft being used for hire or reward are subject to operational restrictions As well as the amphibious types which can operate over land water ice or snow there are non amphibious sidewall or SES types which are similar to catamarans Hovercraft are usually built of aluminium alloy or composite materials which although they are fire retardant are ultimately combustible Light hovercraft are permitted to use petrol engines whereas all other hovercraft must use diesel or kerosene fuel An example is the cross channel hovercraft running between Dover and Calais which uses four gas turbine engines whilst others use up to four diesels Each engine compartment must have its own automatic extin guishing system Hovercraft are built on multi compartment hulls so that in the event of collision in which the hull sus tains damage it should remain floating The light superstructure may also sustain damage In the event of a hovercraft capsizing this occurred on one occasion there is a breakthrough zone marked on the unders
160. ship s fire detection sprinkler or other extinguishing system display panels the direct entry BA team the teams checking decks above below and the surrounding adjacent bulkheads Ideally the ship s drawings need to be temporarily secured under stiff transparent plastic in order that all information obtained can be marked on the plans with chinagraph pencil or similar marker The information sources should be regularly checked and the incident details up dated on the ship s plans The incident commander should bear in mind that only with good intelligence will he be properly in control of the incident He should ques tion reports that are not supported by other infor mation received and if necessary send in a differ ent team to check The initial gathering of information should be completed as quickly as possible in order that the incident commander can decide whether he has sufficient resources to deal with the fire and if not what additional personnel equipment he needs Photo 5 6 Fire on ship in dock shows use of AP Merseyside Fire Brigade c Approaching the fire Once the location of the fire has been identified it is important to determine the best route for fire fighters to approach it bearing in mind the diffi culties of handling hose lines or other equipment in confined spaces Photo s 5 6 and 5 7 The ship s crew may be able to advise on the route with least problems to negotiate If the
161. so in a deep tank just aft of the cargo tanks and in cross bunker tanks The superstructure 1s usually all concentrated at the after end of the ship above the machinery space It can consist of up to seven decks the top or monkey island contains the standard magnetic compass direction finder loop signal mast aerials lights etc below this 1s 20 Fire Service Manual the bridge and then accommodation areas gal leys stores etc c Loading and discharging of cargo Oil cargo is loaded and unloaded through large hoses and hard arms connecting the deck pipelines to shore lines Loading is achieved by shore pumps whilst unloading is done by the ship s pumps Valves control oil flow on the ship they may be operated by hand wheels on the main deck and in the pump room or alternatively they may be hydraulically powered and or remotely controlled from a cargo control room Some large modern vessels have a free flow system of cargo handling in which the oil is allowed to pass from one tank to another through bulkhead valves this reduces the amount of pipework needed Product tankers may have a simple ring main pipeline to handle differ ent grades of oil alternatively there may be a cen tral or twin duct system running the full length of the ship The oi discharged from the tanks is usu ally replaced simultaneously by inert gas as a fire precaution Figure 1 15 i 0 Figure 1 15 Schematic diagra
162. some cases the associated RADHAZ prohibits their use Wherever possible both the Fire Brigade and RN RFA should appoint a liaison officer to be pre sent at the other service s control point e Route to the fire Once the appropriate route to the scene of the fire from the ON brow has been agreed between the ship s officer and the Fire Brigade officer the ship s personnel will identify the route by running a combined guide and communications line f Control of personnel Fire Brigade personnel will at all times act under the direction of the senior fire officer Likewise RN RFA personnel will act under the direction of the ship s officer of the day duty deck officer In circumstances where the senior fire officer is in control of firefighting operations any use of RN RFA personnel e g to act as guide to Fire Brigade teams will be by agreement with the ship s officer In such circumstances the senior fire officer will be responsible for the health and safety of personnel involved in fire fighting operations g Withdrawal of personnel If the Fire Brigade is delegated the task of finding and fighting the fire RN RFA personnel will be gradually withdrawn from within the smoke boundary as they are replaced by Fire Brigade per sonnel Ship s firefighters working in pairs and wearing BA will normally be required to act as guides Close collaboration between the officer senior rating in charge of the sh
163. some situations particularly on pontoons serving finger berths off the main walkways which are usually narrower and more tender than the main walkways Photo 9 2 A hose reel 1s usually available to reach each berth in a marina to enable the boat to fill its water tank This may be used to make a quick attack on a fire whilst other gear is being organised from the appliance Where marinas or boatyards have facilities for laying up boats for the winter there is the risk presented by a large number of yachts and boats being stored close together many propped up with timber shores Boats could be as small as 6 metres or as large as 18 metres some with masts up to 15 metres high Most of the boats will have fuel in the boat s tank and probably some more in plastic con tainers plus gas bottles used for cooking Fuel Photo 9 3 Boatyard fire shows risk to adjacent yachts Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service tanks and gas storage bottles can be located any where on the boat but generally are to be found in the stern half of the vessel Any fire in a yacht or boat in this situation has the potential to become quite hazardous Photo 9 3 The boatyard may be able to move boats away from a fire using their special boat lifting hoists but this takes time Cooling sprays played on adjacent boats is likely to be the only safeguard against fire spread There is always the added risk of a boat falling away from its supp
164. stallations are found mainly on stored in the ship s fire wallet in a prominently No 4 No 3 DEEP TANKS No 2 No 1 liquefied gas carriers Where these are fitted they marked weather tight enclosure outside the bridge TWEEN DK D25 1937 52 270 PA are usually designed for fighting fires on the deck superstructure Information may also be posted LOWER HOLD 14 74 12921 ao 7 TOTAL in the cargo area There may be two or more elsewhere e g at the head of the gangway when cargo 1222 3853 2266 powder controls with associated monitors and or the ship is in port e cland FUEL 2096 hand hose lines with a nozzle shut off facility CG eee oe STORES 122 The system is activated by an inert gas such as 7 eee aa nitrogen stored in pressurised vessels alongside the powder installations Figure 2 7 An actual cargo plan of a small general cargo ship 2 5 Ship Plans Firefighters should note that individual ships are required to carry plans of particular value in the event of fires e g fire control plan stability plan cargo stowage plan and pumping plan Figure 2 7 and Photo 2 3 They should consult these with the ship s Master chief engineer or chief officer On passenger ships and on cargo ships of 500 tonne or over the fire control plan should show where applicable the position of the control stations the sections of the ship enclosed by fire resisting bulkheads particulars of the fire alarms
165. t always present the Fire Service with difficult problems In port firefighters will have to take into account such factors as the type of ship the location of its berth whether it is loading unloading refitting or under repair its cargo the degree of accessibility and the availability of fire boats or fire tugs At sea there will be problems of getting personnel and equipment aboard The increase in shipping generally has made inci dents more likely particularly those resulting from collisions and these incidents may be complicated by the presence of dangerous materials the car riage of which is continually increasing Any coastal Fire Brigade might find itself faced with a major incident and even brigades without a coast line could have to deal with incidents on canals and navigable rivers To cope effectively with such incidents firefighters require a good background knowledge of shipping generally Brigades must also ensure that familiari sation systems are in place so that personnel are made aware of any particular risks in their own areas including transient or temporary risks Liaison with the relevant authorities commercial organisations etc is essential as is adequate pre planning This book looks initially at ship construction in general and describes the principal types of ship which firefighters are likely to encounter The mar itime legislative controls covering fire protection provision on board merchan
166. t be taken 1f a deci sion 1s made to use on board equipment to hoist gear or cargo over the side either onto or from the quayside The actual lift or swing over the side can cause the vessel to list at quite a steep angle If there is already an inclination towards the quay side or a large amount of free surface liquid this sudden list may become unmanageable 4 11 Collision Damage Obviously a hole in the ship s hull will also affect the ship s stability and advice should be sought from marine experts on the likely effects and whether the vessel is safe to board Marine Incidents Chapter Chapter 5 Fighting Ship Fires in Port 5 1 General To fight any ship fire efficiently firefighters must be familiar with the basic details of Ship construction and design Chapter 1 Shipboard fire protection and firefighting media Chapter 2 General issues such as liaison with other authorities emergency plans responsibility for control of operations Chapter 3 and safety precautions Chapter 10 Ship stability Chapter 4 Within this context firefighters must have regard to the particular features of different ships and their present condition e g loaded or unloaded and they must adjust their operations accordingly Appropriate liaison and preplanning are vital and Brigades should make every attempt to gain famil iarity with and knowledge of any specific risks such as naval dock
167. t ships are outlined together with the basic requirements for the differ ent types of vessel The fundamental principle of the important but complex subject of ship stabili ty is also covered A section on the strategy and tactics of fighting fires on ships is followed by fur ther guidance for tackling fires involving different types of vessels with different cargoes both in port and at sea and the various factors involved are considered The issue of liaison and preplan ning which necessarily involves the sometimes contentious area of responsibility at ship fires is discussed in some detail Advice is given on how to identify and deal with dangerous cargoes Particular problems relating to inland waterways marinas historic ships and floating restaurants are also covered A chapter on training and safety gives details of managing marine incident safety and basic training requirements At the end of the book is a glossary of the special terms used in con nection with shipping Marine Incidents 1X Marine Incidents Chapter 1 Ship Construction The variety of shipping Ships serve various purposes the most common being the carriage of different natural and manu factured goods the carriage of passengers the conduct of military operations fishing sport and leisure and assistance to other navigation The table below shows some of the main divisions Ships designed or adapted for each of these pur pos
168. t were a single force acting vertically downwards through the ship s centre of gravity G The position of G is determined by Figure 4 3 Movement of the centre of buoyancy as ship inclines the weight distribution within the ship and is not a fixed point G will move towards an added weight away from a removed weight and will move on a line parallel to any movement of weight onboard When the ship is upright G will also be on the ships centre line Figure 4 4 4 4 Equilibrium and Heeling When the two forces are equal and opposite and acting in the same straight line Figure 4 5 the ship is said to be in equilibrium If the ship is loaded evenly then this equilibrium will be when the ship is upright If when the ship is heeled the ship returns to the upright rather than capsizing the ship is said to be in stable equilibrium or to have stability When a ship is heeled over by the effects of wind and waves assuming for a moment that these exter nal forces will not to any great degree alter the weight distribution within the ship G will remain on the centreline But when the ship inclines the shape of the underwater portion of the ship will change and B will move off to a new geometric centre the beamier wider the ship the further out it moves until the deck edge is submerged The force of gravity acting downwards at the centreline Figure 4 2 The force of buoyancy as
169. tainer ships are still powered by steam The majority of ships have diesel engine propulsion and large diesel generators and pumps so no longer have traditional boiler rooms There may be small boilers and incinerators within the machin ery spaces or in a separate compartment 3 Shaft tunnel and tunnel escape A shaft tunnel runs from the engine room aft and contains the intermediate shafting between the engine and propeller shaft Photo 5 14 It is quite often used for the storage of paint drums of lubri cating oil etc A watertight door links the tunnel and the engine room methods of opening vary but there is generally a wheel in the bulkhead of the accommodation area immediately above with local control An escape trunk fitted with a ladder leads up from the tunnel to an upper deck The ladder may lead down only as far as the tunnel deckhead with hand and foot holds then leading to the tunnel floor Ships with the engine aft may not have a shaft tunnel There will then be a means of escape or entry from low level in the engine room 4 Water ballast and fuel system Cargo ships must have provision for the carriage of water ballast since otherwise when not fully loaded they would present too large an area to the wind and have their propellers only partially submerged As already noted water ballast can be carried in the fore and after peaks and in the deep tank Additionally the hull of most ships has a double bottom spac
170. tead of ducts Gas compression and evap oration methods are used to cool the brine which in turn cools the air The gas is usually freon but may be CQO 1 7 Tankers a Types Tankers are designed for the bulk carriage of oil Photo 1 9 There are two basic types crude oil 18 Fire Service Manual r P d 5 we Pp P N Ca Pe F Cooler room tit Hir iiih q Air suction ducts S Air delivery ducts carriers and product carriers Large tankers are generally used for the carriage of crude oil crude oil makes up approximately 80 of the oil carried by sea They are classified by their oil cargo capacity large crude carriers LCCs 100 000 200 000 tonne very large crude carriers VLCCs 200 000 400 000 tonne ultra large crude carriers ULCCs over 400 000 tonne Product carriers are smaller typically 20 000 tonne and carry refined products from oil refineries There are small coastal tankers typically 3 000 to 6 000 tonne dis tributing products to small ports There is now also a growing trend to carry clean products refined from the Arabian Gulf in 100 000 tonne tankers b Construction In both types most of the hull is given over to cargo space the oil being carried in oil tight com partments bounded by the hull and transverse bulkheads which extend about three quarters of the length of the ship they are further divided by fore and aft bulkheads which divide the tanks in
171. the Master of the ship will have the overall responsi bility 3 2 Responsibilities a Merchant Navy The responsibility for the fire protection of a mer chant ship wil usually depend on where it is and in what condition Ships under construction are the responsibility of the ship builder Under repair or refurbishment they are the ship owner s respon sibility unless he has delegated this to the repairer When a ship is at sea or in port or harbour it is the Master who is responsible for his ship and its safe ty He can for instance if he thinks it is necessary ask for cessation of firefighting and leave his moorings The Harbour Master however has the Marine Incidents 47 ultimate right to refuse entry into a harbour to a ship in a dangerous condition e g on fire and if he considers that a vessel constitutes a danger to the port and dock installations he can have it towed to a pre planned beaching area accessible to the LAFB b HM Ships The commanding officer of one of HM ships has the ultimate responsibility for the safety of his ship and in the first instance of the firefighting mea sures taken This is also the case where the ship ts undergoing repairs or refit and is still in commis sion If the vessel is out of commission the ship yard authorities have the initial fire protection responsibility On arrival at a fire on board one of HM ships in commission the LAFB officer in charge
172. the Metacentric Height or GM and is identified as follows 58 Fire Service Manual A vertical line is drawn through B when the ship 1s upright The ship is inclined B moves to Bl as the underwater shape changes and a second vertical line is drawn through BI The intersection of these 2 lines gives M the metacentre which may be considered a fixed point for angles of heel up to about 12 degrees oO The distance GM is the metacentric height Although this can be predicted by calculation experiments are performed on a new ship by mov ing weights about and measuring the list with an inclinometer to see if the architects and shipbuilder got it right A ship with a large GM will produce a large GZ and will return to the upright rapidly and will have stiff jerky motions in a seaway A ship with a small GM will produce a smaller GZ and will return to the upright slowly Note that if G rises above M by adding top weight the result will be a capsizing lever and the ship will be unstable However M is not stationary and at a large angle of heel M may move above G and the ship becomes stable again at what is called an angle of loll Note that there will be an angle of loll on each side of the ship Figure 4 8 Figure 4 6 Illustration showing righting lever GZ and metacentric height M 4 6 Free Surface Effect Free surface effect is
173. the starting point all being in sheltered waters For situations other than described here the relevance of the information contained in Chapter 6 Incidents at Sea should be considered Care should be taken to ensure that the boat to be used is safe for use in all weather conditions and that where appropriate alternative means of propulsion is available pair of oars or paddles Ideally a boatman who regularly uses the boat is the best person to take a crew out to an incident The means to extinguish the fire will involve either a light pump or hand extinguishers The light pump should be operated from the boat used for transport which should remain ready for a quick withdrawal should this become necessary The yacht or boat on fire may sink on its moorings for a number of reasons other than being filled with water by firefighters or it may burn through the mooring ropes and become a drifting risk to other moored vessels 110 Fire Service Manual Photo 9 2 Marina main walkway pontoon with finger pontoons off Yachts or boats in a marina or alongside quays are relatively easy to tackle in comparison to away from shore situations but nevertheless could become a similar problem if the mooring lines become involved in the fire or the boat yard mari na management decide to move the boat away from other boats Pontoons or walkways serving marinas vary in design most are reasonably substantial but care may be needed in
174. tion of a ship due to the distribution of weight within the ship Heel is a transverse inclination due to an external force e g wind or wave The main problem however is transverse stabili ty and this is dealt with in the following sections which have been written by mariners especially for firefighters 4 2 Buoyancy When a ship floats in water it experiences pres sure exerted by the water acting at right angles to the hull this pressure increases with depth In calm Marine Incidents 5 5 water the forces caused by this pressure will be the same on both sides of the ship but the upward force is only balanced by the weight of the ship and its cargo If weight is added to the ship it will sink in the water until the increased pressure again balances the new weight A ship always displaces its own weight of water Figure 4 1 The force of buoyancy B may be considered as though it was a single force acting vertically upwards through the centre of buoyancy B Figure 4 2 which is at the geometric centre of the underwater portion of the hull and its position alters as the ship heels or trims When the vessel is upright the geometric centre will be on the centre line of the ship When the ship inclines B will move towards the low side because of the change in shape of the submerged part of the ship Figure 4 3 4 3 Gravity The weight of the ship and its contents W can be considered as though i
175. to Oil storage tanks i on Deck cargo lines Loading and Cofferdam discharge manifolds Water ballast tanks Fresh water tanks Engine room Crew accommodation Tank vent outlets Hose handling derricks n a an ee flaca ea eo E arr Swimming pool Paint store a Caan Has a itt me PRAA aa KA A ee x n i fate eta aaa AeA Marine Incidents Figure 1 14 A VLCC showing an arrangement of tanks pipelines ballast tanks etc 19 Photo 1 9 Product Tanker Captain G Stollery two or three across the ship s breadth This makes the vessels very stable because of the reduction in free surface effect see Chapter 4 These tanks are separated from the rest of the ship by coffer dams occasionally by pump rooms and water ballast tanks Figure 1 14 The product carriers tend to have more tanks than the crude carriers and with more complicated pipeline systems to allow differ ent grades of cargo to be handled There are usually no double bottoms under the cargo space though there are under the machinery space Newer tankers are being built with double bottoms under the oil tanks to lesson the likelihood of oil pollution after a grounding although this may introduce new risks in terms of unobserved corro sion confined spaces that have to be entered and potential explosive atmospheres Bunker oil may be carried in the machinery space double bottom and al
176. to communicate between vessels Cellular phones are licensed as land based sys tems but as there is likely to be some overlap cov erage at sea this may be used to access directly the public telephone system If the off shore incident is near to other continental shores the mobile phone will need to be such that communications can be through foreign relay stations The UK pre fix and area codes will need to be known Brigades should ensure that firefighters learn and understand marine phraseology so that any com munication with marine personnel is clearly understood Some of the more common terms are explained in the glossary at the end of this Manual f Firefighting equipment Although there may be occasions when it is possible to use the firefighting equipment of the distressed vessel it is recommended that the fire service should plan always to provide its own equipment for firefighting and rescue operations at sea This practice has the merits of maintaining the confidence of personnel in the efficiency and reliability of the equipment used Photo 6 5 96 Fire Service Manual Hose Branches Containers and slings Ship to shore connections Wheel spanners Heaving lines BA sets and spare cylinders BA entry control boards guidelines and tallies BA communicating equipment BA hand lamps BA tabard First aid equipment for example resuscita tion equipment stretchers General purpose lines Lig
177. uide line 6 4 Salvage Tugs If the vessel involved has sent a general Mayday signal the incident commander may find other vessels in attendance when he arrives It could also happen that other vessels may come alongside whilst the incident commander is aboard without him initially being aware of them The question of salvage is always present at these incidents and the brigade could find that another vessel has rigged hoses and brought them aboard the burning ship If such incidents occur the incident com mander should note the name of the vessel and some details of its actions It is not unknown for the fire authority to be asked at a later date for information on the activities of these vessels and it would be to the advantage of the incident commander to be able to confirm or deny any allegations See Chapter 3 section 6 6 5 Abandoning Beaching and coming into port Incident commanders should remember that the Master of a vessel on fire may also be the owner Under these circumstances he will obviously take all possible measures to avoid total loss mitigate damage to his cargo and prevent salvage claims In doing so he may hazard the ship and the lives of everybody aboard Even if he is not the owner he may be under instructions from the owners or agents to the same effect A decision to abandon ship would therefore not be taken lightly but it may be taken very late and the incident commander must be prepared for it
178. uishing Media a Carbon dioxide The use of carbon dioxide is ideal for some cargoes or particular parts of a ship such as machinery spaces as it will penetrate inaccessible positions The other general advantages of this medium are It will not affect the stability of the vessel It leaves most cargoes undamaged and unaffected Since it is carried as a liquid under pressure it does not require pumps The disadvantages are Some cargoes e g cotton require the oxy gen in the atmosphere to be reduced to a very low level which will take time and necessitate large amounts of carbon dioxide Oxidising agents such as nitrate fertilisers give off oxygen when heated in a fire and will support combustion in an oxygen free atmosphere so that with these cargoes smothering is unlikely to be effective The gas may be slow to penetrate to some parts of the hold e g area blocked off by cargo or the centre of tightly packed bales The gas at its initial temperature is denser than air and will descend to the bottom of the space into which it is introduced per haps below the fire It will mix with the air eventually but this may take some time to happen The gas has little cooling effect and the cargo may therefore remain hot for a long time with consequent risk of re ignition if the space is ventilated too soon See section 7 below When injecting a medium such as CO2 or foam into a hold or compartme
179. urposes Part of pre planning will be to establish what ves sels could be made available as transport for fire brigade personnel and their equipment Whatever craft are employed they must be readily available seaworthy relatively easy to bring alongside a ship to load and unload and capable of carrying the necessary load safely Some brigades have developed pre packaged equipment using pallets or boxes which can be quickly transported to the quayside for loading onto the transporting vessel Consideration would Photo 6 1 Ocean going tug HMFSI need to be given as how the equipment is loaded onto the transport vessel and subsequently onto the incident ship if that is required On very small ves sels firefighters should take into account that lift ing equipment from the quayside or from vessel to vessel by on board tackle could have an effect on the lifting vessel s stability See Chapter 4 All fire brigade personnel should wear lifejackets on the transport vessel d Air transport The availability capability and range of SAR heli copters RAF mountain rescue team helicopters or helicopter belonging to private companies in the sea area adjacent to a brigade would need to be established Photo s 6 2 and 6 3 Some brigades have already made the necessary enquires and set up arrangements to transport men and equipment to vessels at sea It is important that the weight of equipment likely to be required is known
180. us through the ship The identification of doors hatches manholes throughout the ship are indicated by an alpha numerical notation by the location of the compartment in which they are situated or to which they give access Vertical component deck level indicated by a large NUMBER showing the deck on which the compartment is situated Figure 1 23 Fore and aft components a large capital LETTER indicates the main transverse subdivision if needed a SUFFIX LETTER SMALL CAPITAL indicates its position forward or aft within the main transverse subdivision Figure 1 24 If needed an athwartships component a small NUMBER indicates the athwartship position in relation to the centre line of the ship Marine Incidents 3 3 Figure 1 23 Decks and main sections Profile X VR 5 Deck 6 Deck 7 Deck 8 Deck 10 Deck Figure 1 24 Compartments Decks are numbered consecutively downward to the outer bottom starting with the forecastle deck as No deck In aircraft carriers No 1 deck is the flight deck Decks above No 1 deck are numbered 01 02 and so on consecutively upwards The main sections and subdivisions formed by the transverse watertight bulkheads are lettered A B C and so on from forward to aft The letters I and O are omitted to avoid confusion with deck num bers Watertight compartments formed by transverse bulkheads within these main sections are given suffi
181. ve the fire of oxygen by closing all openings into the Marine Incidents 89 machinery space This will usually however only be possible on a very small ship engineering advice should be taken on the practicalities and the best methods c Fires in up takes Up take fires usually involve the combustion of unburned carbon deposits They can be difficult to deal with and it is usually better to allow them to burn out whilst providing cooling spray at the appropriate points Opening the up takes to gain access can aggravate the situation by increasing the draught d Fires in the shaft tunnel The shaft tunnel is often used for the storage of paints oils gas cylinders etc and these may become involved in a fire If a fire does occur and for any reason its seat cannot be reached it may be possible to close the watertight door between the tunnel and the engine room see Chapter 1 Section 1 2 d 3 and flood the tunnel e Bilge fires These are very smoky due to the presence of oil residue and are difficult to detect but relatively easy to extinguish The application of water fog or High Expansion Foam through the hatches is usually effective 90 Fire Service Manual Marine Incidents Chapter Chapter 6 Incidents at Sea 6 1 Legal Position a Fire authorities The Fire Services Act 1947 was amended by sec tion 4 of the Merchant Shipping and Maritime Security Act 1997 The amendment adds to the supp
182. we Py h En SD CO y s MOTORS a e aT OOOO x THE CANAL aa oc o 50 iog 190 zO metres Mmm e l Approximate Sca le SZ5o Figure 3 1 Example of part of a brigade plan covering a harbour area As Fire Service Manual major incident which threatens the area Such inci dents could involve fire explosion massive pollu tion or the release of gas vapour clouds highly flammable substances toxic chemicals or radia tion They could include accidents during the load ing or unloading of cargo at the dockside or in the warehouses themselves or the approach of a vessel already on fire or suffering from the effects of an explosion and requiring assistance Preplanning for offshore incidents will also be necessary see Chapter 6 b Participants The participants in the preplanning will vary with the size and complexity of a particular marine risk and apart from the three emergency services fire police and ambulance could include the following Port Authority Harbour Authority Royal Navy Dock Board Port Health Authority Health and Safety Executive Tug companies Department of Transport Hospitals Large industrial companies Shipping companies RNLI Maritime amp Coastguard Agency Environmental Agency c Main features of plan The plan must be flexible but the following points should be considered Methods of raising the alarm and alerting the essential services
183. wer than 43 degrees C Filling or emptying any tank or cargo space will affect the ships stability especially if it has a free surface area of liquid See Chapter 4 1 3 Container Ships a Types Previously ships have carried their cargoes in bulk or as individual items Nowadays however most packaged cargo is carried unit loads The trend has been towards optimising the time a ship spends at sea Carrying cargo 1 e earning money and min imising the time spent in port handling cargo This is achieved often at the expense of efficient use of the space aboard ship Even a ship which looks conventional may have doors in the side and lifts for loading palletised cargo with fork lift trucks The logical development of this is containerisation where the work of loading the cargo into the con tainer is done ashore These containers are then rapidly loaded into the ship when it arrives in port and the ship is turned around very quickly Figures 1 8 and 1 9 The cargo inside the con tainer 1s not handled from the time it is loaded into the container until it arrives at its destination hav ing travelled by several modes of transport The equipment to handle the cargo costing millions of pounds is invested in the ports the ship has no means of handling its own cargo and in some cases is unable to remove hatches without assistance from ashore 8 Fire Service Manual The fact that the cargo is not actually handled on boa
184. xes A B or C starting from forward or Z Y or X starting from aft as well as the marking of the main section In the case of an odd number of watertight compartments within a main section precedence in the suffix letters is given to the top end of the alphabet e g ABC YZ AB Z ABCD XYZ 34 Fire Service Manual Section on XX in profile Profile section Port Xi Starboard 1 Deck 2 Deck 3 Deck 4 Deck 5 Deck 6 Deck 7 Deck 8 Deck Note These suffix letters are capitals but smaller than the main section letters and deck figures as indicated in Figure 1 24 The subdivision of a main section into watertight compartments athwartship are indicated by small numbers used after the deck number and section letter or letters Odd numbers indicate compart ments to starboard of the centre line of the ship and even numbers indicate compartments to the port of the centre line of the ship In each case the numbering is outwards from the centre line Compartments on the centre line are thus num bered 0 Figure 1 24 lt gt Ta Marine Incidents Chapter Chapter 2 Ship Board Fire Protection 2 1 Legislation The Safety of Life at Sea SOLAS Convention is an international agreement drawn up under the auspices of the International Maritime Organisation IMO and updated at intervals The Convention lays down various standards relating to ship board fire protection It is initial ly at the discretio
185. y of the fire Firefighters entering the com partment should remember that the atmosphere will be oxygen deficient D Nuclear submarines UNDER CONSTRUCTION OR REPAIR As soon as the nuclear reactor has been installed RN personnel will be present and the fire brigade officer will need to liaise closely with the ship s officers who are the ultimate experts in the safety of this source of energy on board the ship IN SERVICE In all probability the nuclear submarine s own firefighting personnel will tackle any fire aboard the vessel However there may be occasions when local authority fire brigade personnel will be asked to assist and in line with the advice given earlier on Responsibilities should tackle the fire accordingly The Fire brigade incident commander should mobilise the brigade s own radiation check ing equipment as a precaution 5 13 Bulk Chemical Carriers a General As described in Chapter 1 Section 7 a these ves sels despite stringent international regulations present problems to the Fire Service not only from possible fires but also from spillages interaction of cargoes gas clouds etc The introduction by mistake of a chemical incompatible with a tank lining the inadequate separation of mutually incompatible chemicals the breakdown of a tank lining or the failure of piping pumps tank walls or bulkheads are examples of conditions which could lead to highly dangerous incident
186. yards or commercial docks actually located in their areas together with regu lar visits to ships visiting such docks or ports Photo 5 1 5 2 Strategy and Tactics a Establishing the situation The various types of vessel previously described will probably require different methods to extin guish the actual fire using the appropriate media However the strategy and tactics employed will be largely similar but will need to be regularly rehearsed to the extent that all personnel are as familiar with what to expect as they are tackling Photo 5 1 Fire in ship in dry dock Merseyside Fire Brigade more general fire situations More specific extin cuishing details appropriate to vessel type is dealt under the vessel type heading The first thing a fire officer will do on arrival at any ship is to contact an appropriate person g the ship s Master or duty officer Photo 5 2 The chief engineer or his officers may also be able to help with expertise in their own particular field From them and from examination of the ship plans Chapter 2 the fire officer should obtain details of the ship its cargo the firefighting measures already implemented and any relevant Marine Incidents 67 factors such as the general state of the ship s stability Information required will include Whether people unaccounted for and where last seen Location of the fire The nature of the materials involved

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