ABS updates Guide for Fire-Fighting Systems for Cargo Areas

In response to recent incidents of fires on vessels carrying vehicles, classification society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has updated its Guide for Fire-Fighting Systems for Cargo Areas of Container Carriers, the industry's first guidance on tackling the issue.

Container Carriers have grown much larger in recent years and the volume of cargo carried has expanded significantly.

Fires involving containers, especially with the volume of cargo now being carried, can present a substantial risk to the safety of the crew and the vessel.

The Guide is for the use of designers, builders, owners, and operators in the marine industry and specifies the ABS requirements for addressing fire safety in four key areas: fire-fighting for containers stowed on deck, fire-fighting for containers stowed below, fire safety of the deckhouse and container hold flooding as a measure for fire-fighting.

The May 2022 edition of the Guide adds requirements for fixed water monitor system and fixed water spray (curtain) system in Sections 1, 2 and 8 as an alternative to mobile water monitor system indicated in Section 2.

If you need more information, please visit the ABS Rules and Guides page, where the document is available FOR FREE.