Firefighting at sea

Holistic path to safer ships

John Gow, Technical Director Marine & QA: Senior Investigator, Forensics at leading risk engineering and fire protection consulting firm Jensen Hughes explains the challenges faced by the maritime sector brought by fire and what needs to be done to rise to the task ahead

The most significant of all the international conventions dealing with maritime safety is the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea. The first version was adopted at a conference in London in 1914. The catalyst for this conference was the now-infamous sinking of the White Star liner Titanic on her maiden voyage in April 1912.

This started the development of a regulatory framework to protect those who worked and travelled by sea. However, it was not until the introduction of the 1960 SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) Convention that many of the safety measures, applying only to passenger ships, were extended to cargo ships.

RISING DISASTER EXPOSURE

Fast forward to present times and cargo carrying capacity is increasing as is the size of the vessel. Combined with smaller crew sizes there is no doubt that the potential for more shipping disasters exists.

At the Marine Insurance Asia 2021 conference, industry leaders came together to consider what lessons could be learned from past disasters and what measures could be put in place to reduce the risk from fire or explosion at sea.

The key element of any safe ship concept should, among other things, consider the Regulatory Framework. Relevant regulation is set out in the International Convention – SOLAS - Chapter II-2; Part A, Regulation 2. This sets out first, the fire safety objectives and second, the functional requirements applicable.

Recently, a joint proposal submitted by the Bahamas, Germany, IUMI, BIMCO and CESA outlined the need for amendments to SOLAS regulations to improve the provision of fire detection and consider measures for the control of fire in cargo stowed both on and under deck.

These proposals have been accepted and now the real work begins. The challenge facing the industry will be to develop new detection and protection measures that are suitable for the challenges ahead!

DETECTING, PREVENTING AND RESPONDING

Whilst the fire peril affects many ship types, there has been a renewed focus on container ship safety since the Maersk Honam fire. The difficulties associated with the detection of fire below and above deck are recognised by the industry.

The operating principals of hold detection systems used today are reliant on the same design principles as those produced in 1918.The challenge of detecting fire in above deck cargo is even greater, relying principally on discovery by crew.

The design of ships is also a key factor that may affect how quickly a crew can respond to a fire. As ships become larger in size the longer it will take to muster and deploy firefighting teams.

The control of fire is reliant on a crew’s ability to limit the availability of oxygen or to cool the fire by the application of water. These are tasks that are labour intensive and, in an emergency, physically demanding. The industry must look to automation to relieve some of the burden that crew face.

The introduction of firefighting monitors on deck is a recent innovation that will no doubt offer some additional protection. However, consideration should also be given to the protection of the navigation bridge and accommodation. External drenchers around the structure may help protect the command centre and those within.

Training of on-board firefighters as well as a clear command

structure is also a critical component of fire safety on ships.

The success of any operation is dependent on the maintenance of a unified command, the absence of which results in delays in decision-making and loss of strategic oversight. Equally, a realistic training programme at sea must be considered.

Finally, the emerging risk from new fuel types such as ammonia, hydrogen as well as electricity will all have an impact on training, equipment and resources.

WHAT’S NEXT?

These are only some of the fire safety challenges facing the marine industry today. There is no single solution to the problem of fire at sea and any future works must consider the regulatory framework, ship design, fire detection and protection and crew competency.

As a fire investigator, often, it is the larger events with which I become involved - investigations that can take many months with many parties involved.

There is no doubt that the information gleaned from these investigations can be used to improve ship safety, but it is worth noting that there are many, smaller fire incidents that do not progress beyond a few containers.

Understanding how these smaller incidents are successfully dealt with may provide the industry with a greater understanding of how they can prevent fires in the first place and how to provide a more effective response when the unthinkable does happen.

It is clear that no single solution will meet all the challenges of firefighting at sea and that a holistic approach must be adopted. The concept of a safe ship with respect to the fire peril is not beyond reach. “The control of fire is reliant on a crew’s ability to limit the availability of oxygen or to cool the fire by the application of water. These are tasks that are labour intensive and, in an emergency, physically demanding. The industry must look to automation to relieve some of the burden that crew face.’’

John Gow, Jensen Hughes