Careless smoking tops the list of causes of fire.
Smoking is a strong habit and as such not only people tend to smoke without any regard to circumstances or location but also they hardly pay any heed to the safe disposal of lit cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and matchsticks.
Temperature of a burning cigarette is about 500 deg Celsius. Thus glowing ashes and tobacco contain enough heat to start a fire in such materials as dunnage, paper, cardboard, cordage, linen and beddings.
If a person is tried after a busy day and smoking in bed, a smouldering fire can result if the glowing tobacco touches the bedding, resulting smoke will most certainly cause drowsiness and possible suffocation or asphyxiation of this person before the fire is discovered.
A person who has been drinking alcohol and smoking too, tends to be careless and has to be observed carefully by other crew members so that his careless actions do not jeopardize safety of crew and vessel.
Thus open flames, glowing embers and smoke can prove dangerous as well as unhygienic.
Smoking is therefore permitted on board a ship, only in designated smoking areas. These areas must be identified and clearly marked thus.
In port, shore personnel boarding vessel for various works should be appraised of shipboard smoking regulations as well as locations of designated smoking areas on board.
Safety matches and / or cigarette lighters must never be carried on person outside ship’s accommodation.
Many terminals expressly forbid smoking or even carrying on person of matchboxes and / or cigarette lighters, around their premises.
NEVER SMOKE IN BED
a. Within the accommodation, shipboard smoking policy must be conspicuously displayed.
b. Never smoke in bed under any circumstances.b. Onboard, “Designated Smoking Area” will be identified in the shipboard smoking policy and clearly marked thus.
c. Carrying of Lighters and or Safety Matchboxes on person out on main deck is expressly forbidden.
a. At Sea, Designated Smoking Areas are:
* Officers Smoke Room
* Crews Smoke Room
* Wheel House
* Engine Control Room (ECR)
b. In Port Designated Smoking Areas are:
* Crews Smoke Room
* Master’s Cabin
* Officer’s Smoke Room
3.3 Spontaneous Combustion and Auto Ignition
Some materials when damp or soaked with paints, oils of vegetable origin in particular can ignite without external application of heat.
Auto ignition temperature of a material is the temperature at which a flammable material will ignite without initiation of a spark or flame.
Spontaneous combustion is the process of gradual increase in temperature of a material as a result of oxidation, without drawing any heat from its surrounding. This process finally results in ignition of the material concerned.
Lagging on steam pipes or cotton rags if soaked with oils and or paints and stocked in a warm area without ventilation is prone to spontaneous combustion. This oil begins to oxidise and produces heat in the process. This heat causes the remaining oil to oxidise faster and produce still more heat that will start building up around the rag. This in turn will ignite any other flammable substance resulting in a major fire.
Petroleum liquids when heated sufficiently will ignite without the application of a naked flame. When fuel or lube oil under pressure sprays onto a hot surface, it will get hotter and will auto ignite as a result.
a. Any oil saturated lagging must be removed at once and safely disposed off.
b. Oily rags, rags used for cleaning paint drums or soaked in paint thinners, saw dust impregnated with oil should be stored in a safe location in covered containers and disposed off in a proper way as early as possible.
c. Oil feeder piping need attention to avoid oil being sprayed from leaks.
d. Good house keeping is the only effective answer to prevent fire due to spontaneous combustion and auto ignition.
e. Cotton rags used for mopping cargo tanks, which have carried any vegetable oil as last cargo, are extremely prone to spontaneous combustion.
3.4 Electrical Circuits and Electrical Equipment
Electricity is a safe and convenient source of power if the equipment concerned is properly insulated and wired. If worn-out, misused or poorly wired electrical energy is converted into heat and the equipment concerned becomes a source of ignition and thus a fire hazard.
Only approved electrical equipment for shipboard use that will stand the strenuous conditions at sea are installed and/or used on board a ship.
Any electrical equipment onboard must be installed, maintained, tested and repaired in accordance with existing regulations and only by qualified personnel.
c. Carrying of Lighters and or Safety Matchboxes on person out on main deck is expressly forbidden.
SMOKING POLICY ONBOARD
a. At Sea, Designated Smoking Areas are:
* Officers Smoke Room
* Crews Smoke Room
* Wheel House
* Engine Control Room (ECR)
b. In Port Designated Smoking Areas are:
* Crews Smoke Room
* Master’s Cabin
* Officer’s Smoke Room
3.3 Spontaneous Combustion and Auto Ignition
Some materials when damp or soaked with paints, oils of vegetable origin in particular can ignite without external application of heat.
Auto ignition temperature of a material is the temperature at which a flammable material will ignite without initiation of a spark or flame.
Spontaneous combustion is the process of gradual increase in temperature of a material as a result of oxidation, without drawing any heat from its surrounding. This process finally results in ignition of the material concerned.
Lagging on steam pipes or cotton rags if soaked with oils and or paints and stocked in a warm area without ventilation is prone to spontaneous combustion. This oil begins to oxidise and produces heat in the process. This heat causes the remaining oil to oxidise faster and produce still more heat that will start building up around the rag. This in turn will ignite any other flammable substance resulting in a major fire.
Petroleum liquids when heated sufficiently will ignite without the application of a naked flame. When fuel or lube oil under pressure sprays onto a hot surface, it will get hotter and will auto ignite as a result.
a. Any oil saturated lagging must be removed at once and safely disposed off.
b. Oily rags, rags used for cleaning paint drums or soaked in paint thinners, saw dust impregnated with oil should be stored in a safe location in covered containers and disposed off in a proper way as early as possible.
c. Oil feeder piping need attention to avoid oil being sprayed from leaks.
d. Good house keeping is the only effective answer to prevent fire due to spontaneous combustion and auto ignition.
e. Cotton rags used for mopping cargo tanks, which have carried any vegetable oil as last cargo, are extremely prone to spontaneous combustion.
3.4 Electrical Circuits and Electrical Equipment
Electricity is a safe and convenient source of power if the equipment concerned is properly insulated and wired. If worn-out, misused or poorly wired electrical energy is converted into heat and the equipment concerned becomes a source of ignition and thus a fire hazard.
Only approved electrical equipment for shipboard use that will stand the strenuous conditions at sea are installed and/or used on board a ship.
Any electrical equipment onboard must be installed, maintained, tested and repaired in accordance with existing regulations and only by qualified personnel.
c. Smoke only within designated smoking areas.
d. Always soak a glowing cigarette, matchstick, and cigar with water before discarding it into covered non-combustion receptacles provided specifically for same purpose.
e. Do not carry on yourself any matchbox or cigarette lighter outside ship’s accommodation at any time irrespective of whether ship is at sea or in port.
f. Notices prohibiting smoking and use of naked lights should be conspicuously displayed at the point of access to the vessel and at every exit from the accommodation area.
3.2 Shipboard Smoking Policy
a. On Sea Care Ships, smoking is allowed only in designated smoking areas.
b. Onboard, “Designated Smoking Area” will be identified in the shipboard smoking policy and clearly marked thus.
c. Carrying of Lighters and or Safety Matchboxes on person out on main deck is expressly forbidden.
SMOKING POLICY ONBOARD
a. At Sea, Designated Smoking Areas are:
* Officers Smoke Room
* Crews Smoke Room
* Crews Smoke Room
* Wheel House
* Engine Control Room (ECR)
b. In Port Designated Smoking Areas are:
* Crews Smoke Room
* Master’s Cabin
* Officer’s Smoke Room
3.3 Spontaneous Combustion and Auto Ignition
Some materials when damp or soaked with paints, oils of vegetable origin in particular can ignite without external application of heat.
Auto ignition temperature of a material is the temperature at which a flammable material will ignite without initiation of a spark or flame.
Spontaneous combustion is the process of gradual increase in temperature of a material as a result of oxidation, without drawing any heat from its surrounding. This process finally results in ignition of the material concerned.
Lagging on steam pipes or cotton rags if soaked with oils and or paints and stocked in a warm area without ventilation is prone to spontaneous combustion. This oil begins to oxidise and produces heat in the process. This heat causes the remaining oil to oxidise faster and produce still more heat that will start building up around the rag. This in turn will ignite any other flammable substance resulting in a major fire.
Petroleum liquids when heated sufficiently will ignite without the application of a naked flame. When fuel or lube oil under pressure sprays onto a hot surface, it will get hotter and will auto ignite as a result.
a. Any oil saturated lagging must be removed at once and safely disposed off.
b. Oily rags, rags used for cleaning paint drums or soaked in paint thinners, saw dust impregnated with oil should be stored in a safe location in covered containers and disposed off in a proper way as early as possible.
c. Oil feeder piping need attention to avoid oil being sprayed from leaks.
d. Good house keeping is the only effective answer to prevent fire due to spontaneous combustion and auto ignition.
e. Cotton rags used for mopping cargo tanks, which have carried any vegetable oil as last cargo, are extremely prone to spontaneous combustion.
3.4 Electrical Circuits and Electrical Equipment
Electricity is a safe and convenient source of power if the equipment concerned is properly insulated and wired. If worn-out, misused or poorly wired electrical energy is converted into heat and the equipment concerned becomes a source of ignition and thus a fire hazard.
Only approved electrical equipment for shipboard use that will stand the strenuous conditions at sea are installed and/or used on board a ship.
Any electrical equipment onboard must be installed, maintained, tested and repaired in accordance with existing regulations and only by qualified personnel.
a. Electrical wires that have bad insulation should be renewed.
b. Fuses and circuit breakers installed will be of proper size for their respective circuits.
c. Jury-rigging of an electrical outlet (to connect more than one appliance on one outlet) should be avoided.
d. Prior leaving cabin for work, crewmember must switch off every light bulb in the cabin.
Overloading is dangerous. Only one appliance must be connected to each outlet in an electric circuit.
a. Vapour tight electrical fixtures cause the insulation to dry out and crack more rapidly than standard fixtures and should be examined carefully.
b. Electrical motors should be regularly inspected, tested, lubricated and cleaned.
c. While storage batteries are being charged, they emit hydrogen, which is lighter than air and a highly flammable gas, a battery room thus should have ventilation at the highest point. Smoking and any other source of ignition is strictly prohibited in a battery room.
d. When air driven lamps are to be used in non-gas free atmosphere, to avoid static electricity accumulation, following precautions must be observed.
* Air supply should have a water trap incorporated.
* The supply hose must be of a low electrical resistance.
e. Torches and Portable battery powered equipment.
* Flashlights approved by a competent authority for use in flammable atmospheres must be used on board a tanker.
* Only intrinsically safe type UHF/VHF portable walkie-talkie must be used.
* Battery powered personal items like wristwatch, hearing aid and heart pacemakers are not considered as significant ignition sources.
* Ship staff must be warned against replacement / renewal of torch cells / batteries outside ship’s accommodation.
Unless approved for use in flammable atmosphere, portable radios, walkmans, portable CD players, calculators, cameras, cell phones and radio pagers must not be used on a tanker deck or areas where flammable gases may be present.
f. Radio transmitting antennae
During medium and high frequency radio transmission, significant energy is radiated which can induce an electrical potential capable of producing an incendive spark, in unearthed receivers within 500mtr range from transmitting antennae. In case antennae insulators have a surface coating of salt, dirt or water, high or medium frequency transmission can cause arcing. Low energy transmissions such as satellite communication or use of UHF/VHF communication is not considered dangerous.
* All stays, cranes, derricks and fittings must be earthed.
* During cargo loading/transfer/discharge, cargo tank washing, cargo tank purging operations, MF-HF transceiver to be switched off.
* Properly sited radars do not present any ignition hazard onboard a vessel but use of ship’s 10 cm radar is capable of including an electrical potential into nearby conductors ashore.
3.5 Ship’s Galley
SMOKING IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN IN SHIP’S GALLEY.
Once vessel leaves port for sea, the cooking range battens are to be use at all times. Electrical power to any hot plate not in use must be switched off. No cloth or paper should be stowed above a cooking range as it can be ignited easily through carelessness.
Good housekeeping is of utmost importance. Used boxes, bags, paper, food leftovers should be placed in covered non-combustible refuse bins.
Hoods, filters and ductwork for cooking rangers to be thoroughly cleaned every week and no oil/grease accumulation allowed in and around hot plates.
A deep fryer can be a source of both heat and fuel for a galley fire.
The fryer should be fixed in a location and must never be left unattended while it is operating. Fryer basket should never be filled so full that grease splatters and overflows.
3.6 Flammable Liquids used on Board Ships
Most commonly found on board are bunker fuels, lube oils of various grades, diesel oils, kerosene, paints and thinners.
For some flammable liquids, rate of vapour release is over a wide temperature range e.g. gasoline gives off vapour even at minus 43c thus proving itself a continuous fire hazard.
Heating increases the rate of vapour release. This vapour is heavier than air, will seek low places, can spread to a distant source of ignition and dissipate slowly.
Bunker fuels and lube oils must be heated to release sufficient vapour for combustion. But once a light or heavy flammable liquid is burning, radiation feedback and the chain reaction quickly increase flame production.
a. Watch out for oil leaks even if minor and rectify them immediately.
b. Good housekeeping goes a long way in preventing fires caused by flammable liquid splits. Any spilled liquid should be wiped off surface using rags of sawdust.
