Class notation for additional fire protection in cargo spaces.
Purpose
The requirements for the F-C notation are additional to and go beyond SOLAS. Fires in general represent 10 % of all fatalities at sea.
Benefits
The cost of a major cargo fire on board a container carrier is extensive; it can even lead to total loss. Therefore shipowners should invest more in the area of fire safety for both newbuilding ship project and ships in operation. The F-C rules are well known in the maritime industry as a high-quality fire safety standard. The additional class notation denotes measures to provide additional fire safety in cargo spaces.
The challenges that a ship owner faces can be summarised as follows:
The content of a container may not be declared correctly
Cargos located above the cargo hatches have no fixed fire extinguishing system
The ship’s fire-fighters normally have limited experience of container fires
A CO2 system that is provided below the cargo hatch may not be effective if the hatch collapses
Features
DNV’s rules for additional fire protection have been updated to reflect changes in SOLAS and recent developments within fire extinguishing and detection technology, as well as new safety philosophies.
The additional fire protection in cargo spaces (F-C) notation is based on lessons learned from casualty statistics, experience and a focus on cost-efficient measures, fire prevention and quick responses. The main focus is on the following areas:
Portable water monitors
Increased fire mains capacity on cargo deck
Water mist lances
- Enhanced communication and fire fighting equipment
Process
Approval and surveys are based on plans, specifications, related technical descriptions and data produced by the builder or sub-suppliers.