Section 12 in The Merchant Shipping (Cargo Ship Construction And Survey) Rules, 1974
12. Fire protection.
(1)This rule shall apply to all cargo ships of 4000 tons gross or over and sub-rule (9) shall apply also to cargo ships of 500 tons gross or over.(2)In a ship in which a bulkhead is required to be constructed of 'B' class panels, such panels shall be capable of preventing the passage of flame throughout a standard fire test of 30 minutes duration. Every incombustible 'B' class panel used for this purpose shall be such that if either face thereof is exposed to a standard fire test of 30 minutes duration, the average temperature on the unexposed face of the panel shall not increase at any time during the first 15 minutes of the test and during the entire period of the test it shall not exceed by more than 139°C above the initial temperature on that face nor shall the temperature at any one point thereon increase by more than 225°C above the initial temperature. Every combustible 'B' class panel used for this purpose shall be such that if either face thereof is exposed to a fire test of 30 minutes duration the average temperature on the unexposed face of the panel shall not increase by more than 139°C above the initial temperature on that face nor shall the temperature at any one point thereon increase by more than 225°C above the initial temperature.(3)In every ship-(a)the hull including the superstructure, bulkheads, decks and deckhouses shall be constructed of steel :Provided that in special cases the Central Government may permit any of these to be constructed of such other suitable materials as it may deem fit, having regard to the risk of fire;(b)the corridor bulkheads serving accommodation spaces and control stations shall be constructed of steel or 'B' class panels.(4)In every ship-(a)the doorways and similar openings in corridor bulkheads shall be capable of being closed by permanently attached doors or by shutters :(b)the number of ventilation openings in such bulkheads shall be kept to a minimum. Such openings shall, so far as is reasonably practicable, be in the lower part of the door.(5)In every ship, interior stairways, ladders and crew lift trunks within accommodation spaces shall be constructed of steel or other equivalent material.(6)In every ship, the boundary bulkheads of any emergency generator room and the bulkheads separating a galley, paint-room, lamp-room, or boatswain's store from an accommodation space shall be constructed of steel or other equivalent materials.(7)In every ship, deck coverings with accommodation spaces and control station on the deck forming the crown of machinery and cargo spaces shall be of a type which will not readily ignite.(8)In every ship-(a)paints, varnishes and other surface materials having a nitrocellulose or other highly inflammable base shall not be used in accommodation spaces, machinery spaces and control stations;(b)pipes intended to convey oil or other combustible liquids shall be of a material acceptable to the Central Government having regard to the risk of fire;(c)overboard scuppers, sanitary discharges or other outlets close to the waterline shall not be of a material likely to fail in the event of fire and thereby give rise to a danger of flooding; and(d)cellulose nitrate film shall not be used in cinematograph installations.(9)In every ship-(a)the skylights to spaces containing main propulsion machinery or oil fired boilers or auxiliary internal combustion type machinery of a total horse power of 1000 or over shall be capable of being closed and, where, practicable, opened, from outside the spaces in the event of fire and where they contain glass panels, such panels shall be of fire resisting construction fitted with wire reinforced glass and shall have external permanently attached shutters of steel or other equivalent material;(b)windows shall not be fitted in engine casings except where the Central Government is satisfied that they are necessary and will not constitute a fire hazard. Where such windows are fitted they shall be of non-opening type and shall be of fire resisting construction fitted with wire reinforced glass and shall have permanently attached external shutters of steel or other equivalent material.
