The Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection: Large Ships) Regulations 1998

Fire pumps, fire mains, water service pipes, hydrants, hoses and nozzles

16.—(1) Every ship of Class VII of 500 tons or over shall be provided with appliances whereby at least two jets of water can reach any part of the ship normally accessible to the passengers or crew while the ship is being navigated, and any store room and any part of any cargo space when empty.

(2) (a) Every ship of Class VII of 1,000 tons or over shall be provided with at least two fire pumps operated by power. Each such pump shall be capable of delivering at least one jet of water simultaneously from each of any two fire hydrants, hoses and nozzles provided in the ship and shall comply with the requirements of regulation 38.

(b) Every ship of Class VII of 500 tons or over but under 1,000 tons shall be provided with at least one fire pump operated by power, which shall be capable of delivering at least one jet of water simultaneously from each of any two fire hydrants, hoses and nozzles provided in the ship and shall comply with the requirements of regulation 38, provided that the capacity of the fire pump shall not be less than 25 cubic metres per hour.

(c) In every ship of Class VII of 500 tons or over, in addition to the fire pumps required by this regulation one of the other pumps fitted in the machinery space such as general service, bilge and ballast pumps shall be capable of providing water to the fire main at the required capacity and the pressure of the fire pumps.

(3) (a) If in any ship of Class VII of 500 tons or over a fire in any one compartment could put all the fire pumps out of action there shall be provided, in a position outside the machinery spaces, an independently driven power-operated emergency fire pump and its source of power and sea connection.

(b) In every ship of Class VII of 500 tons or over but under 2,000 tons, the emergency fire pump shall be capable of delivering at least one jet of water simultaneously from each of any two hydrants and hoses through nozzles which comply with the requirements of regulation 40(5)(b) whilst maintaining a pressure of at least 210 kPa at any hydrant in the ship provided that for such ships of 1,000 tons or over, the pressure at any hydrant shall not be less than 250 kPa.

(4) (a) In every ship of Class VII of 500 tons or over there shall be provided a fire main, water service pipes, hydrants, hoses and nozzles which shall comply with the requirements of regulations 39 and 40.

(b) (i) Every such ship of 1,000 tons or over shall, in addition to any fire hoses provided in the machinery spaces, be provided with at least one firehose for each 30 metres (or part thereof) length of the ship but in no case less than five hoses and such hoses shall have a total length of at least 60 per cent of the length of the ship. In addition to such hoses there shall be provided one spare fire hose.

(ii) In every such ship of 500 tons or over there shall be provided in ro-ro cargo spaces at least three water-fog applicators in addition to the nozzles required by these Regulations.

(iii) In every such ship of 500 tons or over in every ro-ro cargo space the number of hydrants with hoses shall be so arranged that at least two jets of water each from a single length of hose not emanating from the same hydrant may reach any part of the space. Such hydrants shall be positioned near the accesses to the protected space.

(iv) Every such ship of 500 tons or over but under 1,000 tons shall, in addition to any fire hoses provided in the machinery spaces, be provided with at least two fire hoses having a total length of at least 60 per cent of the length of the ship and one spare fire hose.

(c) In every such ship of 500 tons or over fitted with oil-fire boilers or internal combustion type propelling machinery, there shall be provided in each space containing such boilers or machinery at least two fire hydrants, one on the port side and one on the starboard side, and in addition where there is access to the machinery space of any such ship by way of a shaft tunnel, a fire hydrant shall be provided in the tunnel at the end adjacent to that space. A fire hose and nozzle shall be provided at every such fire hydrant.