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5. Personal Safety on Ships (1984) - TP 5021E
6. Fire Precautions & Fire fighting

Fire Precautions & Fire fighting

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Safe Working Practices Regulations, Sections 33-41.

Fire at sea is one of the worst hazards. Don't invite fire by letting rubbish accumulate in corners. Keep your quarters clean and tidy. Piles of oily rags and waste can catch fire by themselves if left long enough in open air. Don't keep inflammable materials like paint or solvents in your cabin. Keep clothing and other articles away from direct sources of heat. A discarded match or cigarette can start a fire, so always use an ashtray or some other suitable container, and make sure that you put out lighted matches and cigarettes before leaving them. Never smoke in your bunk. Crewmen have died because they fell asleep while smoking in their beds. At work, smoke only in authorized places.

Fires sometimes result from faulty electrical appliances or fittings. If you have a TV or other electrical equipment, disconnect the plugs when you leave the cabin. You should report any defects in equipment at once and leave repair work to qualified persons. Never overload circuits with too many appliances connected to a single socket or plug. When working in machinery spaces, guard against oil spills and leaks.

If you discover fire, raise the alarm at once and, if possible, tackle the blaze with a portable extinguisher. You should then proceed to your emergency station. If caught in smoke and fumes, put a wet cloth over your nose and mouth and crawl along close to the deck where the air is clearer. Be sure that you know where the nearest emergency exits are in your ship.
Smoke detectors are installed for your benefit. Never remove their batteries except for renewal.

Portable Fire Extinguishers

Before you can use a portable fire extinguisher, you must know how to use it - during an emergency there is no time to hunt for the instructions.

First you must make sure that the extinguisher used is the right one for the kind of fire you are fighting. Using the wrong type could result in a much more serious fire, even death. (Some extinguishers may be colour coded to ease recognition)

Next, take up a position where access to the fire is unrestricted but where you can quickly and safely retreat. Crouching and using the extinguisher as a shield will enable you to get closer to the fire, avoiding smoke and heat.

Water Extinguishers

All types of water extinguishers are effective against fires involving free-burning materials such as wood, paper or clothing. But you must not use them for any electrical fire or one involving flammable liquids.

Direct the jet at the base of the flame and keep it moving across the area of the fire. If the fire is spreading vertically, attack it at its lowest point and follow it up. Look for any hot spots after the main fire is extinguished.

Foam Extinguishers

Foam extinguishers are designed to extinguish fires by blanketing them with a layer of foam to exclude air. Use them against burning flammable liquids, but not on fires involving live electrical equipment. When using a foam extinguisher on an oil fire, direct the stream of foam across the fire to strike a vertical surface or obstruction behind it. If this is not possible, allow the foam to drop down and lie on the surface of the liquid with a gentle sweeping motion. Do not direct the jet into the liquid because this would drive the foam beneath the surface where it would be useless, and also might splash the fire around.

Dry Powder and Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) Extinguishers

Both dry powder extinguishers and CO₂ extinguishers act mainly as smothering agents, depriving the fire of oxygen. They are effective against fires in electrical equipment or on burning liquids. On fires involving either liquid in containers or spilled liquids, direct the jet or discharge horn toward the near edge of the fire. Then, with a rapid sweeping motion, drive the near edge toward the far edge until all flames are extinguished. For fires in electrical equipment, direct the jet or discharge horn straight at the fire.

If the fire has taken hold and you cannot use a portable extinguisher, close doors and other openings feeding air to it. Unless it is too dangerous to do so, remain near the fire to keep the area sealed off and to identify the fire's location when the fire party arrives.

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Date modified:

2010-01-19

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