Merchant Shipping Act, 1951 (Act No. 57 of 1951)

Schedules

Second Schedule

Protocol of 1978 Relating to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974

Annex

Chapter II-2 : Construction—Fire Protection, Fire Detection and Fire Extinction

Part A — General

Regulation 3 : Definitions

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For the purpose of this Chapter, unless expressly provided otherwise—

 

(a)“noncombustible material” means a material which neither burns nor gives off inflammable vapours in sufficient quantity for selfignition when heated to approximately 750°C (1 382°F) this being determined to the satisfaction of the Administration by an established test procedure† Any other material is combustible material.

 

(b)“A Standard Fire Test” is one in which specimens of the relevant bulkheads or decks are exposed in a test furnace to temperatures corresponding approximately to the standard timetemperature curve.

The specimen shall have an exposed surface of not less than 4,65 square metres (50 square feet) and height (or length of deck of 2,44 metres (8 feet) resembling as closely as possible the intended construction and including where appropriate at least one joint. The standard timetemperature curve is defined by a smooth curve drawn through the following points:

At the end of the first 5 minutes — 538°C (1 000°F).

At the end of the first 10 minutes — 704°C (1 300°F).

At the end of the first 30 minutes — 843°C (1 550°F).

At the end of the first 60 minutes — 927°C (1 700°F).

 

(c)“ ’A’ Class Divisions” are those divisions formed by bulkheads and decks which comply with the following:
(i)They shall be constructed of steel or other equivalent material;
(ii)they shall be suitably stiffened;
(iii)they shall be so constructed as to be capable of preventing the passage of smoke and flame to the end of the onehour standard fire test;
(iv)they shall be insulated with approved noncombustible materials such that the average temperature of the unexposed side will not rise more than 139°C (250°F) above the original temperature, nor will the temperature, at any one point, including any joint, rise more than 180°C (325°F) above the original temperature, within the time listed below:

Class “A60” — 60 minutes.

Class “A30” — 30 minutes.

Class “A15” — 15 minutes.

Class “A0” — 0 minutes.

(v)the Administration may require a test of prototype bulkhead or deck to ensure that it meets the above requirements for integrity and temperature rise.

 

(d)“ ’B’ Class Divisions” are those divisions formed by bulkheads, decks, ceilings or linings which comply with the following:
(i)They shall be so constructed as to be capable of preventing the passage of flame to the end of the first onehalf hour of the standard fire test;
(ii)they shall have an insulation value such that the average temperature of the unexposed side will not rise more than 139°C (250°F) above the original temperature, nor will the temperature at any one point, including any joint, rise more than 225°C (405°F) above the original temperature, within the time listed below:

Class “B15” — 15 minutes;

Class “B0 — 0 minutes;

(iii)they shall be constructed of approved noncombustible materials and all materials entering into the construction and erection of “B” Class divisions shall be noncombustible, except where in accordance with Parts C and D of this Chapter the use of combustible material is not precluded, in which case it shall comply with the temperature rise limitation specified in subparagraph
(ii)of this paragraph up to the end of the first onehalf hour of the standard fire test;
(iv)the Administration may require a test of a prototype division to ensure that it meets the above requirements for integrity and temperature rise.

 

(e)“ ’C’ Class Divisions” shall be constructed of approved noncombustible materials. They need meet no requirements relative to the passage of smoke and flame nor the limiting of temperature rise.

 

(f)“Continuous ‘B’ Class Ceilings or Linings” are those “B” Class ceilings or linings which terminate only at an “A” or “B” Class division.

 

(g)“Steel or Other Equivalent Material”. Where the word “steel or other equivalent material” occur, “equivalent material” means any material which, by itself or due to insulation provided, has structural and integrity properties equivalent to steel at the end of the applicable fire exposure to the standard fire test (e.g. aluminium alloy with appropriate insulation).

 

(h)“Low Flame Spread” means that the surface thus described will adequately restrict the spread of flame, this being determined to the satisfaction of the Administration by an established test procedure.

 

(i)“Main Vertical Zones” are those sections into which the hull, superstructure, and deckhouses are divided by “A” Class Divisions, the mean length of which on any one deck does not in general exceed 40 metres (131 feet).

 

(j)“Accommodation Spaces” are those used for public spaces, corridors, lavatories, cabins, offices, crew quarters, barber shops, isolated pantries and lockers and similar spaces.

 

(k)“Public Spaces” are those portions of the accommodation which are used for halls, dining rooms, lounges and similar permanently enclosed spaces.

 

(l)“Service Spaces” are those used for galleys, main pantries, stores (except isolated pantries and lockers), mail and specie rooms, workshops other than those forming part of machinery spaces, and similar spaces and trunks to such spaces.

 

(m)“Cargo Spaces” are all spaces used for cargo (including cargo oil tanks) and trunks to such spaces.

 

(n)“Special Category Spaces” are those enclosed spaces above or below the bulkhead deck intended for the carriage of motor vehicles with fuel in their tanks for their own propulsion, into and from which such vehicles can be driven and to which passengers have access.

 

(o)“Machinery Spaces of Category A” are all spaces which contain—
(i)internal combustion type machinery used either for main propulsion purposes, or for other purposes where such machinery has in the aggregate a total power output of not less than 373 kW; or
(ii)any oilfired boiler or oil fuel unit; and trunks to such spaces.

 

(p)“Machinery Spaces” are all machinery spaces of Category A and all other spaces containing propelling machinery, boilers, oil fuel units, steam and internal combustion engines, generators and major electrical machinery, oil filling stations, refrigerating, stabilizing, ventilation and air conditioning machinery, and similar spaces; and trunks to such spaces.

 

(q)“Oil Fuel Unit” means the equipment used for the preparation of oil fuel for delivery to an oilfired boiler, or equipment used for the preparation for delivery of heated oil to an internal combustion engine, and includes any oil pressure pumps, filters and heaters dealing with oil at a pressure more than 1,8 kilogrammes per square centimetre (25 pounds per square inch) gauge.

 

(r)“Control Stations” are those spaces in which the ship’s radio or main navigating equipment or the emergency source of power is located or where the fire recording or fire control equipment is centralized.

 

(s)“Rooms containing Furniture and Furnishings of Restricted Fire Risk” are, for the purpose of Regulation 20 of this Chapter, those rooms containing furniture and furnishings of restricted fire risk (whether cabins, public spaces, offices or other types of accommodation) in which—
(i)all case furniture such as desks, wardrobes, dressing tables, bureaux, dressers, is constructed entirely of approved noncombustible materials, except that a combustible veneer not exceeding 2 millimetres (1/12 inch) may be used on the working surface of such articles;
(ii)all freestanding furniture such as chairs, sofas, tables, is constructed with frames of noncombustible materials;
(iii)all draperies, curtains and other suspended textile materials have, to the satisfaction of the Administration, qualities of resistance to the propagation of flame not inferior to those of wool weighing 0,8 kilogrammes per square metre (24 ounces per square yard);
(iv)all floor coverings have, to the satisfaction of the Administration, qualities of resistance to the propagation of flame not inferior to those of an equivalent woollen material used for the same purpose; and
(v)all exposed surfaces of bulkheads, lining and ceilings have low flamespread characteristics.

 

(t)“Bulkhead deck” is the uppermost deck up to which the transverse watertight bulkheads are carried.

 

(u)“Deadweight” is the difference in metric tons between the displacement of a ship in water of a specific gravity of 1,025 at the load water line corresponding to the assigned summer freeboard and the lightweight of the ship.

 

(v)“Lightweight” means the displacement of a ship in metric tons without cargo, fuel, lubricating oil, ballast water, fresh water and feed water in tanks, consumable stores, and passengers and crew and their effects.

[Paragraph (v) substituted by Proclamation No. R 168 of 1982]

 

(w)“Combination carrier” is a tanker designed to carry oil or alternatively solid cargoes in bulk.

 

(x)“Crude oil” means any oil occurring naturally in the earth whether or not treated to render it suitable for transportation and includes—
(i)crude oil from which certain distillate fractions may have been removed; and
(ii)crude oil to which certain distillate fractions may have been added.

[Paragraph (x) inserted by Proclamation No. R. 168 of 1982]