Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting

CLASSIFICATION OF FIRE:
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o
C

420oC
302oC
173oC
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 DEVELOPMENT OF FIRE:

A fire in a carbonaceous material will develop through over

heating, smoldering stage to flaming combustion. When
exposed to heat first the moisture will dry out and then
temperature starts to rise at 173 degree centigrade
oxidation commences and over heating starts. Once the
material is heated to 240 centigrade no further heating is
required. The reaction becomes violent in smoldering stage
at 302 degree centigrade. It will burst into flame at about
420 degree centigrade.
 Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting
Fire Extinguishing Agents:

 Water : Solid Jet, Spray/Fog, Flooding

 Carbon Dioxide Gas : Liquified gas in container
 Inert Gas & Their mix : Nitrogen, Argon,& Inergen ect.
 Dry Powder : For Class A,B,C & D Fires
Bicarbonates of Sodium, Pottasium, Pot. Carbonate,
Pot.Chloride, and for Class-D fire Chlorides of Sod,Pot
&Barium at 20,29 & 51% ratio.(TEC)
 Hallons : Halon 1211(BCF),Halon1301(BTM)
Hallons are Prohibitted to use on board.
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Factors to be considered in selecting an
extinguishing medium for application:

 Efficiency in a particular situation

 Electric conductivity
 Possibility of toxic vapours evolution
 Reactivity with the burning substances
 Possibility of undesirable physical phenomenon (Boil Over)
 Effect on stability of ship
 Possibilities of damage to cargo, equipment or other items.
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FIRE PREVENTION :

 Fire prevention must be a continuing process on every ship.

There is no such thing as it cannot happen on this ship.
Fires have occurred and probably will continue to occur on
vessels that never had a fire before. It is up to the crew to
minimize the possibility of fire and to minimize the damage
that a fire can do if once occurs. Some fires may be purely
accidental and others may be caused by circumstances
beyond control, but many fires have resulted from the acts
or omissions of crew members. Carelessness or
irresponsible or ill-advised actions have caused disastrous
fires.
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Fire safety is well represented through the following design regulations:

a. Structural fire protection (hull, superstructure,

bulkheads and decks).
b. Restrictions on the use of combustible material.
c. Insulation of exhaust systems.
d. Venting of cargo spaces, fuel tanks and pump rooms.
e. Means of escape.
f. Minimum stairway sizes.
g. Fire detection and alarm system.
h. Fire main systems.
i. Fixed fire extinguishing systems.
j. Portable and semi portable extinguisher requirement.
k. Approved machinery, equipment and installations.
Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting
CONSTRUCTION ARRANGEMENTS - BASIC PRINCIPLES :

The basic principles of the regulations dealing with ship

construction arrangements are:

 Division of ship into main vertical zones by thermal and

structural boundaries.
 Separation of accommodation spaces from remainder of
ship by thermal and structural boundaries.
 Restricted use of any combustible materials.
 Detection of any fire in the zone of origin.
 Containment and extinction of any fire in the space of
origin.

Contd..
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 Protection of means of escape or access for fire fighting.

 Ready availability of fire extinguishing appliances.
 Minimization of possibility of ignition of flammable cargo
vapour.

MEANS OF ESCAPE:
Stairways and ladders are arranged to provide ready means
of escape to the life boat and life rafts embarkation deck
from all passenger and crew spaces and from spaces in which
the crews is normally employed, other than machinery
spaces.
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Following provisions are complied with:

 Below bulk head deck two means of escape,atleast one of

which is independent of water tight doors, are provided from
each water tight compartment

 Above the bulk head deck there are atleast two means of
escape from each main vertical zone, atleast one of which
shall give access to stairway forming a vertical escape.The
other may form enclosed stairway up to embarkation deck.

 From Radio room two means of escape, one of which may be

a port hole of sufficient size.
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 Corridors having only one route of escape, the route does
not exceed 7m in length for ships carrying less than 36
passengers and 13m. if more than 36 passengers.

 Two means of escape from machinery space, either two

sets of steel ladders widely separated leading to
embarkation deck of which one of them provide continuous
fire shelter or a vertical steel ladder leading to embarkation
deck which will give safe escape route.
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 NON COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL
It is a material which neither burns nor gives off flammable
vapours in sufficient quantity for self ignition when heated to
approximately 750oC.

 STANDARD FIRE TEST

It is one in which specimen of relevant bulk heads or decks
are exposed in a test furnace to a temperature corresponding
approximately to the standard time-temp curve shown below.
The specimen shall have an exposed surface not less than 4.6
sq.m and height 2.44m.
 Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting
Standard fire test curve is a smooth curve drawn
through following temperature points at the specified time.

At the end of the first 5 minutes 556 oC

At the end of the first 10 minutes 659 oC

At the end of the first 15 minutes 718 oC

At the end of the first 30 minutes 821 oC

At the end of the first 60 minutes 925 oC

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STANDARD FIRE TEST CURVE

Temp. in degree C

Time in mts.
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“A” CLASS DIVISION:

“A” Class division are those division formed by bulkheads and decks which comply with the following:

 They shall be constructed of steel or other equivalent material;

 They shall be suitably stiffened;
 They shall be so constructed as to capable of preventing the passage of smoke and flame to the end of
the one hour standard fire test;

Contd..
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• They shall be insulated with approved non-
combustible
materials such that the average temperature of the
unexposed side will not rise more than 140oC above the
original temperature, nor will the temperature at any
one point, including any joint, rise more than 180oC
above the original temperature within the time
listed below:
Class "A-60" 60 minutes
Class "A-30" 30 minutes
Class "A-15" 15 minutes
Class "A-0" 0 minutes
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“B” CLASS DIVISION :

“B” Class division are those division formed by bulkheads,

decks, ceiling or lining which comply with following:
 They shall be so constructed as to be capable of
preventing the passage of flame to the end of the first
half hour of the standard fire test:
 They shall have an insulation value such that the
average temperature of the unexposed side will not rise
more than 140oC above the original temperature, nor
will the temperature at any one point, including any
joint, rise more than 225oC above the original
temperature within the time listed below:
Class “B-15” 15 minutes.
Class “B-0” 0 minutes.
Contd..
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• They shall be constructed of approved non combustible
materials and all materials entering into the construction
and erection of “B” class divisions shall be non
combustible with the exception that combustible veneers
may be permitted provide they meet other requirements
of this chapter and;

• The administration may require a test of a prototype

divisions to ensure that it meats the above requirements
for integrity and temperature.
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“C” CLASS DIVISION :

 “C” class division are divisions constructed of approved non-

combustible materials.
 They need meet neither requirements relative to the passage
of smoke and flame or limitations relative to the temperature
rise.
 Combustible veneers are permitted provided they meet the
requirements of this chapter.
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EFFECT OF FIRE ATMOSPHERE & TOXIC HAZARDS

The factors contributing to overall hazards of a fire are:

1. The rate of growth and release of heat
2. Smoke and toxic gases
3. Circulation of fire gases and vitiation of oxygen

In a ship of enclosed environment a fire can give rise to major

hazards. Plastics are used in furnishing and construction
onboard ships. Polymeric materials on which these plastics are
based can incorporate a range of Chemical elements, in
addition to carbon/hydrogen structure. Burning of organic
materials give rise to carbon monoxide. Burning of other
chemical species can also contribute to toxicity or irritancy.
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 Thermal decomposition of a single polymer can produce in
excess of hundreds different chemical species. Polyurethane
can generate hydrogen cyanide, organic nitrides, benzene and
toluene.

 Polyvinyl chloride can generate hydrogen chloride.

 The physiological effects of fire gases and smoke is of course of

great importance but extremely complex.

 The increased use of organic polymeric materials in the sips can

increase the fire risk, production of smoke and toxic gases. In
the initial stage of fire smoke production is less and can be
gainfully used in detection.
Contd..
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As the fire grows, the obscuration of escape routes and incapacitating
effect of gases lead to loss of life and hinder fire fighting operation.
Fire involving synthetic materials are intense, essentially of short
duration and accompanied by the formation of copious amount of
smoke and toxic gases, which are irritant to eye and respiration
system.

Inhalation toxicologists states that product of fires fall into two

categories:
 Intoxicant
 Irritants
The intoxicants are narcotic and incapacitate the victim by effects
upon nervous and cardio-vascular systems. This cause convulsion and
prevent escape.
Contd..
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The irritants are oxidative compounds like acrolein which
affects the eyes, nose, lungs and cause breathing impairment
and vision and prevent escape.

 3% of CO2 causes hyperventilation (increased respiration

rate) which results in higher intake of other chemicals
including CO. CO binds to hemoglobin over 200 times faster
than oxygen which inhibit oxygen carrying capacity of blood.

 Hydrogen cyanide and nitrides can cause dizziness and nausea

and are toxic. Cyanide inhibits cellular respiration at high
concentration. At low concentration it stimulate respiration to
inhale fire atmosphere at faster rate.
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 Many of the oxygenated compounds are strong irritants
(eg. Carbonyls, aldehydes). Acrolein is most toxic with a
threshold limit of 0.1ppm for 8 hrs. exposure.

 Hydrocarbons, alkanes & alkenes are relatively non toxic but

may have anesthetic effects. Aromatics like benzene and
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon are carcinogenic.