Fire Strategy for Submarine Construction Phase - Assignment Example

Running head: Fire Strategy for Submarine Construction Phase 3 Fire Strategy for Submarine Construction Phase 3 Name Course Tutor Date Table of Contents Introduction 2 Scope 2 Limitations 2 Detection and Alarm systems 3 Escape provisions 4 Asset protection measures 6 Means of extinguishment 8 Conclusion 9 References 10 Introduction During the assembly, Services Connection and Outfitting design various fires strategies are adopted for the future safety of crew members and property within the submarine vessels. The RRFSO 2015 For fire strategy is required that submarine vessels should be designed in a manner that ensures smoke does not spread across the vessel and fire smoke and heat are detected as soon as possible. There are a number of fire strategy measures which are undertaken to protect the submarine vessels from destruction and loss of live. Fire production design include inclusion of fire exit, fire fighting equipment’s like extinguishers, smoke detectors, fire detectors and alarm systems (McGlennon, Montgomery and Turner, 2009). It is required that a submarine vessel should have a wide travel space which will enable both familiar and non-familiar occupants of a submarine vessels to escape from fire. There should be ideal heating and ventilation in the submarine vessels to enable proper circulation of air and temperature. The door ways of submarine vessels should be labeled with proper colors or signs that indicate the escape routes in case of fire. Scope The fire strategy designed here will cover 5 submarine vessels which will navigate through deep seas and narrow seas. Limitations Finance is the greatest limitation faced when designing this strategy. The management may also not accept the project due to personal interest. Compliance with design requirements Prevention measures Fire prevention in submarine vessels requires a consideration of a number of factors such as insulation of electrical materials, having waste bins lids, regular inspection and many other factors. In our case during the assembly of the elevator, deck, space and other parts of the vessel various preventive measures will be taken in consideration. A space will be provided for litter bins which have lids incase they are in areas where oily rags are disposed and another flammable waste. This area should not have exposed electrical wiring to avoid fire outbreak. A manual should be prepared during the assembly detailing how exhausts and steam leakages should be attended to incase occurred. The manual contains areas with the loose pets cocks that should be inspected always. Plugs should be used to shut short sounding pipes in the vessel to avoid oil spillages which may lead to fire( FSH/24, 2001). Detection and Alarm systems RRFSO 2015 provides three types of detectors will be installed within the vessel that is flame detectors, heat detectors and smoke detectors. Smoke detectors will detect smoke within an area which smoke is not expected such as a hall or exit route. There two types of smoke detectors that is ionization type of smoke detector which is installed in accommodation areas and light obscuration type which is installed in the kitchen and other places. In the vessel bi-metallic vessel will be installed in order to detect any heat. When the temperature raises this type of heat detector will give an alarm because it contains a thin strip that is very sensitive to temperature increase. The alarm will direct the crew to the source of heat. We have also flame detectors which will be installed in order to alert incase of fire outbreak. This will be installed in the kitchen, stairways and accommodation areas. It works by detecting ultra violent rays coming from fire this will activate the alarm which will alert the crew, the source of fire (BS 7974, 2001). Detection of fire signs is the proactive step for preventing the occurrence of fire explosions in submarine vessels. The use of fire detector, pungent smelling fire in the submarine vessels, and automated valves with sensors can detect the leakage of gas. If fire occurs due to gas leakage, then its supply, source of oxygen, heat, and chain reaction should be stopped for preventing the further spread of fire. By sharing responsibility, the stakeholders can effectively manage the gas fire explosions in submarine vessels. The RRFSO 2015 were established to further monitor and regulate various issues regarding fire safety including fire protection equipment and maintenance of submarine vessels. Thus, it is established to enforce and administer big establishments regarding their fire safety requirements.. Escape provisions Outbreak of fire in submarine vessel will be threat because it may lead to flooding or even loose control of buoyancy in the sea leading to lose of life. Therefore provision for escape when a disaster is looming is done during the assembly time of signing of the vessel. This is done by ensuring that bulkheads are separated from the hull and it is of high strength. This ensures that the crew are able to survive in the deep sea as well as limit the flooding of the vessel. As in our case the vessel has two escape bulkheads which enable the crew to survive and provide an opportunity for rescue. The bulkheads provide an opportunity for the crew to survive incase of flooding or fire. The design of the vessel will be able to hold breathable atmosphere for sometime waiting for rescue. This part of bulkhead is what is shown in the diagram below. The exit route should be mark with visible colors by a reasonable person. Any special individual within the vessel should be informed of the need for escape. The principles laid down in RRSFO 2015 requires the designers to include alternatives means of escape during the design process of the submarine. This routes should be protected, be of reasonable distance and be within the exit route. However all these will depend on the size of the vessels, the riskiness of the vessel area to have fire and expected number of people in it. The escape routes should have sufficient lighting to enable the escapee to see the safety route to use; it should also have means of smoke control and alarm system to alert users of the house of the fire outbreak (Dinenno, Drydale, BeyLER, and Walton, 2016). It is required that a submarine vessel should have a wide travel space which will enable both familiar and non-familiar occupants to escape from fire. There should be ideal heating and ventilation in the submarine vessel to enable proper circulation of air and temperature. The door ways of a submarine should be labeled with proper colors or signs that indicate the escape routes in case of fire. Ventilations that are expected to be used for emergency cases should have minimum 0.30m2 area. They should be an open place that is safe from fire, however if the escape route is another compartment then the room should be have an access to safety area (Chow, 2006). This means the escape room should have more than one door for escape. The construction hall is extremely tall and has ample ventilation, so the smoke filling from all credible submarine type fires allows for sufficient time for evacuation of the hall. The alarm and any alarm systems on the boat must be linked into this system. Asset protection measures The adoption of fireproof materials has not been widely considered because of the high finances involved in its implementation. This also requires absolutely skilled labour to implement i.e. it is both capital and labour intensive (Chow, 2006). Non fire proof construction has dominated the construction of these submarine vessels over a long period of time because of the readily available relatively cheap inputs. The however the most materials available in most markets can only resist heat/combustion up to a certain temperature levels and combustion periods. Rapid advances in technology have presented technological risks to designers and constructors. Designs and structures that have been used in the past are becoming obsolete in dealing with new ventures which present greater complexity and/or scale (Dowling and Brian Kirby, 2009). Obsolesce is a risk especially in materials and design. Site subsurface conditions create a high level of uncertainty for facilities whose functions are not clearly marked. Sometimes the construction design is changed or modified after construction has begun where construction procedures were not anticipated (The Fire Strategy Company, 2008) In shipping the modules into the pressure hull this will create gaps between the ‘T’ frames supporting the hull and the edge of the module, as such smoke from a fire will be free to propagate. Additionally fire compartmentation will be provided to the ‘high fire risk’ compartments, so that fire cannot enter or exit these compartments (Rated to SOLAS A-60), these will be: – The Torpedo Room – The Battery Compartment – Deck 3 of the Mid Module – Diesel Tank – Reactor Compartment However there will be fire containment at the major structural bulkheads. These are the main bulkheads which divide the modules and will be rated to SOLAS A-60. The RRFSO 2015 were established to further monitor and regulate various issues regarding fire safety including fire protection equipment and maintenance of vessels. Thus, it is established to enforce and administer big establishments regarding their fire safety requirements. Means of extinguishment Incase of fire outbreak within the vessel there need to be fire extinguishment equipment such as fire extinguishers in the corridors, hall, exit routes and bulkhead. The materials that are used to make exit routes should be fire resistance and each crew member should be notified of the existence of exit route (Dinenno, Drydale, BeyLER, and Walton, 2016). The extinguishers that are required in marine vessels should comply with fire system code which requires a minimum fire extinguisher containing 5kg of CO2 another one of 5kg powder weighing. In the hall water and foam fire extinguishers will be installed and should have a minimum capacity of 9 litres each. This should be repeated in the exit routes, corridors and any other compartment where the crew may be. However a place of installing a certain fire extinguisher will depend on material that is used (Papanikolaou , 2009). For example the dry powder will be used where textiles, paper, wood, flammable electric equipment are used. This ensures quick and safe way of extinguishing fire within the vessel. Therefore the class of fire will guide the type of extinguisher that installed. There is also the need to consider the portability of the fire extinguishers. It is recommended that there should be enough fire extinguishers (Buchanan, 2001; Chow, Fong, Pang, Lau and Kong, 2006). Since our vessel has a hall of 250m2 will have one extinguisher of foam, water or dry powder. The corridors since they don not exceed 25m will have 2 fire extinguishers containing powder, water or foam. The stairways, lavatory, offices will not have a fire extinguisher. The laundry room, hospital/clinic, storerooms and galleys should contain 1 fire extinguisher. The kitchen, cargo spaces, workshops should also have at most two fire extinguishers (National Fire Protection Association, 2014). Conclusion The means of escape, preventive measures, means of extinguishing and detection in submarines are designed using fire engineering as well as prescriptive approaches. The engineers and architects usually are required to follow laid down standards governing construction of submarines. The escape routes in most submarines are regulated in RRFSO 2015. This standards requires fire escape means to be designed in a manner that ensures smoke does not spread across the route and choke occupants escaping. They require a submarine should have a wide travel space which will enable both familiar and non-familiar occupants to escape from fire. The doors should be wide and should be labeled with proper colors or signs that indicate the escape routes in case of fire (Papanikolaou , 2009). References ASCE, 2008. Standard Calculation Methods for Structural Fire Protection. New York: American Society of Civil Engineers BS 7974, 2001. Application of Fire Safety Engineering Principles to the Design of Buildings - Code of Practice, British Standards Institute, UK. Buchanan, A., 2001. Structural Design for Fire Safety. New York: Wiley Chow, W.K., Fong, N.K. Pang, E, Lau, F. & Kong, K., 2006. Case Study for Performance-Based Design in Hong Kong. Paper presented at Society of Fire Protection Engineers – 6th International Conference on Performance-Based Codes and Fire Safety Design Methods on 14-16 June 2006 by Professor W.K. Chow Chow, W.K., 2006. “Fire engineering approach and discussion on the design fire,” 6th International Conference on Performance-Based Codes on Fire Safety Design Methods, June 14-16, 2006, Tokyo, Japan – Paper to presented, June, 2006. Dinenno, P., Drydale, D., BeyLER, C and Walton, W., 2016. SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering. New York: Natl Fire Protection Assn Dowling, J. & Brian Kirby, B., 2009. Fire protection- BS 9999: A new approach to design of fire precautions in buildings. [ Accessed on 10th March, 2016] FSH/24 (2001). Application of fire safety engineering principles to the design of buildings - Code of practice. London: BSI Government of Ireland, 2006. Building Regulations 2006- Fire Safety. Dublin: Stationery Office McGlennon, M., Montgomery, S. & Turner, B.,2009. Promoting Safe Egress and Evacuation for People with Disabilities. National Disability Authority National Fire Protection Association, 2014. Codes & Standards. National Fire Protection Association, [ Accessed on 10th March, 2016] Netherlands, 2008. Goal-Based New Ship Construction Standards- The Naval Ship Code. International maritime organization Papanikolaou , A. 2009. Risk-based Ship Design – Methods, Tools and Applications. New York: Springer. Regulatory reform, England and wales, 2005. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 The Fire Strategy Company, 2008. A Guide to BS 9999:2008- Code of practice for fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings. [ Accessed on 10th March, 2016] The Fire Strategy Company, 2008. A Guide to BS 9999:2008- Code of practice for fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings. Retrieved March 10, 2016, from Read More