Class notation for additional fire protection in machinery spaces.

Purpose

The requirements for the F-M notation are additional to and go beyond SOLAS. About two-thirds of all reported fires take place in engine rooms. The diesel engine represents the most important fire risk due to many hot surfaces and various oil leakage sources. Passenger ships have a higher reported fire frequency than other ship types.

Benefits

You will benefit from our long experience of fire safety and constantly upgraded rules. The F-M rules are well known in the maritime industry as a high-quality fire safety standard. A high safety level with regard to fire in the engine room helps to reduce incidents, off-hire and repair costs.

Features

The additional fire protection in machinery spaces (F-M) 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:

• The prevention of fires by introducing requirements regarding the thermo-scanning of engines, exhaust ducts, steam ducts and similar equipment where hot surfaces above 220oC may be expected

• Rapid detection by enhancing requirements relating to smoke, heat, and flame detectors

• Confirmation of fire by introducing a requirement that engine rooms must have TV monitoring

• Rapid release of water-based local fire fighting system

• Improved reliability of main fire extinguishing system

• Improved manual fire fighting equipment (portable extinguishers and lightweight fire-fighting equipment)

Process

Approval and surveys are based on plans, specifications, related technical descriptions and data produced by the builder or sub-suppliers.