MARINE NOTICE 79

Version No. 2.0

Issue Date 03/12/2021

Effective Date 03/12/2021

Firefighting Equipment
Notice to ship owners, managers, Masters, Approved Nautical Inspectors, Recognised
Organisations and surveyors

This Notice supersedes BMA Information Bulletin No.97

1. Purpose

1.1. This Marine Notice provides instructions for the inspection, maintenance, testing and
survey requirements for firefighting installations and portable fire extinguishers, and is
intended to supplement Regulation 14.2.1.2 of Chapter II-2 of the International
Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended (SOLAS Chapter II-2), and
manufacturer’s maintenance instructions.

1.2. This Notice should be read in conjunction with:

i. International Maritime Organization (IMO) Assembly Resolutions A.655(16) Use of

Halons as Fire Extinguishing Media on Board Ships, A.719(17) Prevention of Air Pollution
from Ships and A.951(23) Improved Guidelines for Marine Portable Fire Extinguishers;
ii. IMO Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) Circulars MSC/Circ.600 Annual Leakage Check
of Halon Fire Extinguishing Systems, MSC/Circ.775 Ships with Reduced Halon Quantities,
MSC.1/Circ.1275 Unified Interpretation of SOLAS Chapter II-2 on the Number and
Arrangement of Portable Fire Extinguishers on board Ships,
iii. MSC.1/Circ.1318/Rev.1 Revised Guidelines for the Maintenance and Inspections of Fixed
Carbon Dioxide Fire Extinguishing Systems
iv. and MSC.1/Circ.1432 Revised Guidelines for the Maintenance and Inspection of Fire
Protection Systems and Appliances as amended by MSC.1/Circ.1516.
v. IMO Sub-Committee on Ship Systems and Equipment (SSE) Circular
SSE.1/Circ.2/Rev.2 Halon Banking and Reception Facilities.

2. Application

2.1. This Notice applies to all Bahamian ships, except pleasure craft.

MN 79 v 2.0 FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT Page 1 of 8

 MARINE NOTICE 79

3. Background

3.1. IMO MSC Circular MSC.1/Circ.1432, as amended by MSC.1/Circ.1516, provides a

minimum recommended level of maintenance and inspections for fire protection
systems and appliances.

3.2. The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) recommends compliance with MSC.1/Circ.1432,
as amended, and encourages all Companies1 operating Bahamian ships to review the
circular and implement changes to their safety management system and procedures
where necessary.

4. Inspection, maintenance, testing and survey requirements.

4.1. Notwithstanding the requirements of this Notice and the IMO Resolutions and Circulars
referred to herein, all inspection, maintenance, testing and survey shall take the relevant
manufacturer’s guidelines into account.

4.2. Certain maintenance procedures and inspections may be performed by competent

crewmembers, whilst others should be performed only by persons specially trained in
the maintenance of such systems. Any aspect of the testing and maintenance of the
system which is assessed by the Company to be beyond the competence of the
Company’s and ship’s personnel shall be carried out by a competent specialist
maintenance firm. Further guidance on “competent persons” is provided in BMA Marine
Notice 892.

4.3. The Company shall ensure that the inspection and maintenance of the whole system
meets the requirements of the Recognised Organisation and any recommendations of
the installation manufacturer or supplier.

4.4. The requirements for portable fire extinguishers are contained within IMO Resolution
A.951(23), and section 8 of this Notice.

4.5. The requirements for fixed CO2 fire extinguishing systems are contained within
MSC.1/Circ.-1318/Rev.1 Revised Guidelines for the Maintenance and Inspections of Fixed
Carbon Dioxide Fire Extinguishing Systems, and section 5 of this Notice.

4.6. The requirements for the following fire safety systems are contained within
MSC.1/Circ.1432, as amended.

 Fixed fire detection & alarm systems

1 The “Company” is the entity responsible for the management of the ship in accordance with the ISM Code. For ships
which the ISM Code is not applicable, the Company is the Managing Owner in accordance with Section 52 of the Bahamas
Merchant Shipping Act.
2 https://www.bahamasmaritime.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/MN089-Competent-Persons-v1.0-ID-116229.pdf

MN 79 v 2.0 FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT Page 2 of 8

 MARINE NOTICE 79

 Fixed gas fire extinguishing systems (except fixed CO2 systems)

 Fire doors
 Public address & general alarm systems
 Breathing apparatus, 5 year hydrostatic test on bottles.
 Low location lighting
 Water mist, water spray & sprinkler systems
 Fire mains, fire pumps, hydrants, hoses and nozzles
 Foam fire extinguishing systems
 Firefighters’ outfits
 Fixed aerosol extinguishing systems
 Portable foam applicators
 Wheeled (mobile) fire extinguishers
 Ventilation systems & fire dampers
 Galley & deep fat cooking fire extinguishing systems
 Fixed dry chemical powder systems

5. Specific requirements for Fixed CO2 Systems

5.1. At least once in every 5 year period, control valves of fixed CO2 systems are to be
internally examined to ensure they can operate freely.

5.2. At least biennially (intervals of 2 years ± 3 months) in passenger ships or at each

intermediate, periodical or renewal survey3 in cargo ships, the following maintenance
should be carried out (to assist in carrying out the recommended maintenance,
examples of service charts are set out in the appendix):

i. all high-pressure cylinders and pilot cylinders should be weighed or have their
contents verified by other reliable means to confirm that the available charge in each is
above 90% of the nominal charge. Cylinders containing less than 90% of the nominal
charge should be refilled. The liquid level of low pressure storage tanks should be
checked to verify that the required amount of carbon dioxide to protect the largest
hazard is available;
ii. the hydrostatic test date of all storage containers should be checked. High-pressure
cylinders should be subjected to periodical tests at intervals not exceeding 10 years. At
the 10-year inspection, at least 10% of the total number provided should be subjected
to an internal inspection and hydrostatic test. If one or more cylinders fail, a total of
50% of the onboard cylinders should be tested. If further cylinders fail, all cylinders
should be tested. Before the 20-year anniversary and every 10-year anniversary
thereafter, all cylinders should be subjected to a hydrostatic test4. Flexible hoses

3 Refer to the Survey Guidelines under the Harmonized System of Survey and Certification (HSSC), 2019
(resolution A.1140(31)).
4 Refer to standard ISO 18119:2018 – Gas cylinders – Seamless steel and seamless aluminium-alloy gas

cylinders and tubes – Periodic inspection and testing.

MN 79 v 2.0 FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT Page 3 of 8

 MARINE NOTICE 79

should be replaced at the intervals recommended by the manufacturer and not

exceeding every 10 years. When cylinders are removed for testing, the cylinders should
be replaced such that the quantity of fire-extinguishing medium continues to satisfy
the requirements of 2.2.1 of chapter 5 of the Fire Safety Systems (FSS) Code, subject to
SOLAS regulation II-2/14.2; and
iii. the discharge piping and nozzles should be tested to verify that they are not blocked.
The test should be performed by isolating the discharge piping from the system and
flowing dry air or nitrogen from test cylinders or suitable means through the piping.

5.3. At least biennially (intervals of 2 years ± 3 months) in passenger ships or at each renewal
survey in cargo ships, the following maintenance should be carried out by service
technicians/ specialists:

i. where possible, all activating heads should be removed from the cylinder valves and
tested for correct functioning by applying full working pressure through the pilot
lines. In cases where this is not possible, pilot lines should be disconnected from the
cylinder valves and blanked off or connected together and tested with full working
pressure from the release station and checked for leakage. In both cases this should
be carried out from one or more release stations when installed. If manual pull cables
operate the remote release controls, they should be checked to verify the cables and
corner pulleys are in good condition and freely move and do not require an excessive
amount of travel to activate the system;
ii. all cable components should be cleaned and adjusted as necessary, and the cable
connectors should be properly tightened. If the remote release controls are operated
by pneumatic pressure, the tubing should be checked for leakage, and the proper
charge of the remote releasing station pilot gas cylinders should be verified. All
controls and warning devices should function normally, and the time delay, if fitted
should prevent the discharge of gas for the required time period; and
iii. after completion of the work, the system should be returned to service. All releasing
controls should be verified in the proper position and connected to the correct
control valves. All pressure switch interlocks should be reset and returned to service.
All stop valves should be in the closed position.

6. Specific requirements for Halon gas systems

6.1. New installations

6.1.1. In accordance with Regulation 10.4.1.3 of SOLAS Chapter II-2, fire extinguishing systems
using Halon 1211, Halon 1301, Halon 2402 and perfluorocarbons are prohibited on all
new buildings and on new installations on existing vessels.

MN 79 v 2.0 FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT Page 4 of 8

 MARINE NOTICE 79

6.2. Discharge or loss of pressure of existing Halon gas cylinders

6.2.1. In the event of the discharge or loss of pressure of Halon gas cylinder(s) in an existing
installation, the BMA will accept the replenishment of the discharged cylinder(s), if they
remain in satisfactory condition.

6.2.2. The safety of the vessel and its crew remains paramount and if Halon gas is not readily
available, the Company will be required to ensure that the affected space has adequate
temporary firefighting capability prior to departure from port.

6.2.3. The adequacy of any temporary arrangements and procedures shall be assessed by the
Recognised Organisation prior to application for acceptance by the BMA.

6.2.4. Application for acceptance of any temporary arrangements shall be made to the BMA by
the Recognised Organisation, in accordance with BMA Information Bulletin No.8, and
shall include the items specified in MSC/Circ.775.

6.3. Phase out of Halon gas

6.3.1. There is currently no internationally agreed date for the phasing out of Halon gas in
existing installations, however there may be local or regional regulations that impose
restrictions on the use and/or phase out of Halon. The BMA recommends that
Companies operating affected Bahamian ships make themselves aware of any
restrictions that may be applied by the country or region in which the ship is trading.

6.3.2. Companies operating ships with existing Halon systems should note that the worldwide
stock of Halon is diminishing, and it is strongly recommended that a plan is
implemented for the replacement the Halon system on board. See IMO Circular
SSE.1/Circ.2/Rev.2 for details of the available facilities.

6.3.3. It should be further noted that where Halon replenishment is not permitted by the
country or region in which the ship is operating, the ship may be detained and/or
prohibited from leaving port until a new fixed firefighting system is installed.

6.3.4. Details of any proposed replacement of a system containing Halon must be forwarded
to the BMA for review by the Recognised Organisation.

7. Alternative fixed gas firefighting media

7.1. Alternative firefighting systems referred to in SOLAS Chapter II-2 and the IGC Code5 for
protection of machinery and accommodation spaces, pump rooms and cargo spaces
may be fitted on board ships, subject to the approval, including any attached conditions,

5 The International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk

MN 79 v 2.0 FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT Page 5 of 8

 MARINE NOTICE 79

of a Bahamas Recognised Organisation or SOLAS contracting Government. The BMA

shall receive prior notification of intention to fit an alternative system which has not
been previously accepted by the BMA.

7.2. The BMA accepts the use of (non-asphyxiating) fire extinguishing agents in machinery
spaces for which no specific provisions for fire-extinguishing appliances are prescribed
under the provisions of SOLAS Chapter II-2, such as “Novec 1230” and “FM 200” (HFC-
227ea). Acceptance of such agents is subject to conditions, agreed on a case-by-case
basis, appropriate to the space in question and provided that the space is not connected
to an accommodation space.

8. Number of portable fire extinguishers and spare charges

8.1. The number of portable fire extinguishers on board should be determined as follows:

8.1.1. Ships built prior to 01 January 2009 - the number of portable fire extinguishers
provided is to satisfy the requirements of the relevant Classification Society. In
accommodation spaces, service spaces and control stations on ships of 1,000 gross
tonnage and upwards, no less than five (5) portable fire extinguishers are to be
provided. Companies are encouraged to apply the provisions of MSC.1/Circ.1275 where
practicable.

8.1.2. Ships built on or after 01 January 2009 - the number of portable fire extinguishers to
be provided should be determined in accordance with MSC.1/Circ.1275. In
accommodation spaces, service spaces and control stations on ships of 1,000 gross
tonnage and upwards, no less than five (5) portable fire extinguishers are to be
provided.

8.2. The minimum number of spare charges carried on board for portable & semi-portable
extinguishers shall be in accordance with SOLAS Chapter II-2, namely:

i. 100% for the first ten (10) extinguishers; and

ii. 50% for the remaining extinguishers up to a maximum of sixty (60).

8.3. Additional extinguishers of the same type and capacity shall be carried in lieu of spare
charges for any extinguishers which cannot be charged on board.

9. Additional Survey Requirements

9.1. In surveying the safety equipment on a vessel, Recognised Organisations shall verify
that:

MN 79 v 2.0 FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT Page 6 of 8

 MARINE NOTICE 79

i. all firefighting equipment has been inspected and maintained in accordance with
the manufacturer’s instructions and the foregoing requirements
ii. the manufacturer’s maintenance instructions are on board
iii. records of inspections, maintenance and pressure tests are maintained, and
iv. spare charges or extinguishers are provided in accordance with paragraphs 8.2 and
8.3.

9.2. Recognised Organisations shall refer to the BMA, with relevant recommendations, any
cases where a Bahamian ship does not satisfy the foregoing requirements, prior to the
issue or endorsement of a Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate, Passenger Ship
Safety Certificate or any other statutory certificate that relates to safety equipment (e.g.,
MODU/MOU certificates).

10. Records

10.1. Records shall be maintained on board of the following inspections & testing:

i. Weekly
ii. Monthly
iii. Quarterly
iv. Annual
v. Two yearly
vi. Five yearly
vii. Ten yearly service
viii. Other maintenance and testing
ix. Deficiencies identified and corrective actions performed.

11. Queries

11.1. Any queries on this Notice may be addressed to [email protected] or any

BMA office.

MN 79 v 2.0 FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT Page 7 of 8

 MARINE NOTICE 79

Revision History

Version Description of Revision

1.0 First Issue

Paragraphs 4.5, 5.2 and 5.3 updated to reflect MSC.1/Circ.1318/Rev.1 Revised

2.0 Guidelines for the Maintenance and Inspections of Fixed Carbon Dioxide Fire
Extinguishing Systems

MN 79 v 2.0 FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT Page 8 of 8