Within this blog I am going to talk about the use of fire suppression in the marine industry. In terms of the safety of passengers and crew on boats, fire protection is a vital component. When it comes to fire protection on boats special consideration for the engine rooms, pump rooms, electrical and control rooms and electrical cabinets needs applied. As the main cause for boat fires appear to be due to electrical faults, internal wiring and shore power surges. Other cases have shown that a faulty cooling system can lead to overheating, which could eventually lead to fires. This would indicate that the main source for boat fires revolve around electrical problems. Due to the fact that boats contain a lot of electrical equipment, wiring and a battery, this means that if it’s damaged, not secured or maintained properly a fire will most likely start.
What is a fire Suppression System?
If a fire starts, a fire suppression system would be considered the most effective option as it is an integral part of any fire protection infrastructure. When a fire occurs, a fire suppression system will react instantaneously releasing an extinguishment from the pipework attacking the source of the fire. This happens because a fire suppression system has built in components that can detect the presence of flames and smoke within seconds.
A fire suppression system would be considered as an active fire protection method. This is the name given to systems that require some amount of action or motion to work efficiently when a fire occurs. These actions may be in the form of manual or automatic operation.
The fire suppression system falls within the automatic category as the system is triggered by the presence and detection of fire and smoke. What this means is that human activation and intervention is eliminated, reducing the risk and increasing the safety of the passengers and crew on a boat. It also means that fires in hard to reach and less accessible areas can be extinguished. In terms of fire safety FirePro is seen as one of the leading providers for fire suppression solutions for marine applications.
Why Choose FirePro?
FirePro is viewed as a system that is safer and environmentally friendly as it harmless to the environment and poses no threat to human life if it is operated properly. They are also low in ownership costs and high in efficiency. FirePro has many configurations that can be manufactured to allow it to fit into several different spaces and suit a multitude of risks. The FirePro suppression system also showcases a proven exceptional reliability and would require little maintenance.
When boats are being configured by boat builders/naval architects, FirePro is seen as the choice for fire suppression that meets IMO standards and has a strict compliance to marine codes, practice and standards.
What Are the Standards?
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is the global standard-setting authority that specialises in the safety, security and environmental performance of international systems, creating a regulatory framework that is adopted and implemented universally by the shipping industry. These regulations are created and designed to ensure fires are prevented from occurring, rapidly detected and that the fire is contained and extinguished. This indicates that in terms of fire safety within the marine setting the use of a fire suppression systems can help meet the standards of the International Maritime Organisation and create a safer environment for everyone on board.
When operating within the UK, FirePro need approval from the United Kingdom Maritime & Coastguard Agency. This agency would work to prevent the loss of life at sea and on the coast, producing legislation and guidance for maritime matters and provide seafarers certifications. For FirePro they would need the Certificate of Inspection & Test. For operating within Europe, they would have to have the Certificate of Compliance which is provided by the European Certification Bureau B.V. FirePro have obtained both of these certifications and many more across America, Europe and Oceania allowing them to become a globally recognised company for both marine and land applications.
If you have any further queries be sure to have a look at our fire suppression section on our website and if you have any further enquires be sure to contact us via email or telephone.
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