Norway: means of escape on production decks on fishing vessels

The Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) has issued a circular on means of escape on production decks on fishing vessels.

The document was published on 6.02.2023 and is applicable until 31.12.2028.

This Circular specifies how the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) will enforce the requirements for means of escape for factory facilities on fishing vessels of 15 metres in overall length (LOA) and upwards, and applies to factory facilities constructed/altered after 1 July 2016.

Requirements

The overall requirement for an emergency exit with associated escape route is that it must be able to serve as a quick emergency exit to open deck. There shall be two separate emergency exits from the factory. Walkways to or from working positions in the factory and passages through the factory must satisfy the minimum width requirement for an emergency exit. The width of emergency exits and escape routes in spaces in which the crew is normally employed must be at least 700 mm. The width requirement applies to corridors, stairways, doors and any other openings/passages which form part of the emergency exit. The headroom on a sheltered production deck must be at least two metres.

Acceptable narrowings of parts of an escape route, in or through a factory:

• In a straight section of an escape route, a narrowing to a minimum of 500 mm may be accepted from deck level and to a height of 1.20 metres above deck.
• Maximum acceptable height of sills or obstructions which must be crossed over is 600 mm over a length of up to 0.5 m in areas with a width of at least 700 mm and a headroom of 2 metres.
• The headroom requirements for the escape route to one of the emergency exits may be reduced once over a length of maximum 1 metre, provided that there is a width of at least 700 mm from deck level up to a height of minimum 700 mm above deck.
• The headroom requirements for the escape route may in an area be reduced over a length of maximum 1 metre, provided that there is a width of at least 700 mm from deck level up to a height of minimum 1,200 mm above deck.

Preconditions

• In areas where the escape route “turns”, the height and width requirements may not be modified.
• There must be a distance of at least 1.5 metres between narrowings as described above, so that the combination of reduced height, reduced width and sills does not interfere with quick movement through the escape route.
• Safe passage through acceptable narrowings requires sufficient padding, rounding of sharp corners, lighting, cleats, handles, etc.
• In case of narrowings as described above, these must not interfere with the possibility of evacuating people not capable of helping themselves through the factory.

The NMA will, upon application, consider whether other solutions than the ones mentioned above will be acceptable, as long as the company can establish that the proposed solution will provide at least the same level of safety.

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

Means of Escape on Production Decks on Fishing Vessels