Marshall Islands: Fire extinguishing equipment requirements for paint and flammable liquid lockers

The Republic of the Marshall Islands Maritime Administrator on 1 November 2023 published a marine notice referring to the fire extinguishing equipment requirements for paint and flammable liquid lockers per SOLAS II-2/10.6.3.

This Marine Notice (MN) has been streamlined and supersedes Rev. 8/06. It does not contain any new requirements.

Applicability

This MN applies to all ships and mobile offshore units with a keel laid, or at a similar stage of construction, before 1 January 2009.

Definitions

A suitable Fixed Extinguishing System means a system designed to a recognized standard as required by SOLAS, Regulation II-2/10.6.3.1 as follows:

• Medium Capacity carbon dioxide for at least 40% of the space's gross volume
• Dry powder system for at least 0.5 kg powder /cubic meter of space gross volume
• Water spray or sprinkler system with at least 5 liters/square meter of deck area/minute

A portable Fire Extinguisher means an extinguisher which is designed to be carried and operated by hand and which has a maximum fully-charged weight of 23 kg. Refer to FSS Code, Chapter 4.

Requirements

1.0 Vessels with keel laid before 1 February 1992:

• 1.1 Lockers of 10m2 (i.e., 5m x 2m) or less in the deck area - one portable fire extinguisher located outside the entrance to the space.
• 1.2 Lockers greater than 10m2, but less than 20m2 in deck area - two portable fire extinguishers located outside the entrance to the space.
• 1.3 Lockers greater than 20m2 in deck area - a suitable fixed fire extinguishing system as defined below.

2.0 Vessels with a keel laid after 1 February 1992 and before 1 February 1998:

• 2.1 Lockers of 10m2 (i.e. 5m x 2m) or less in the deck area - one portable fire extinguisher located outside the entrance to the space.
• 2.2 Lockers greater than 10m2 in deck area - a suitable fixed fire extinguishing system as described below.

3.0 Vessels with keel laid after 1 February 1998 and before 1 July 2002:

• 3.1 Lockers of 4m2 (i.e., 2m x 2m) or less in the deck area - one portable fire extinguisher located outside the entrance to the space.
• 3.2 Lockers greater than 4m2 in deck area - a suitable fixed fire extinguishing system as described below.

4.0 Vessels with keel laid after 1 July 2002 and before 1 January 2009:*

• 4.1 Lockers and storerooms (having a deck area of 4m2 or more), mail and baggage rooms, species rooms, workshops (not part of machinery spaces, galleys) - one portable fire extinguisher placed outside or near the entrance to that space may also be considered as part of the requirement for the space in which it is located.
• 4.2 For other spaces in which flammable liquids are stowed the minimum number of extinguishers must be in accordance with SOLAS regulation II-2/10.6.3.

*For guidance on the number and arrangement of portable fire extinguishers, refer to IMO Circular MSC.1/Circ.1275, as corrected by MSC.1/Circ.1275/Corr.1, which may also be used for ships constructed before 1 January 2009.

For more information, please see the document below (available only to subscribers):

Fire Extinguishing Requirements for Paint and Flammable Liquid Lockers