3 The selection of portable fire extinguishers

The selection of portable fire extinguishers should be appropriate to the fire hazard(s) in the space in accordance with the Guidelines for marine portable fire extinguishers, as adopted by resolution A.951(23). The classes of portable fire extinguishers in the table are only for reference.

Table - Minimum numbers and distribution of Portable fire extinguishers in the various types of spaces on board ships

Type of spaces		Minimum number of extinguishers	Class(es) of extinguisher(s)
Accommodation Spaces	Public spaces	1 per 250 m² of deck area or fraction thereof	A
	Corridors	Travel distance to extinguishers should not exceed 25 m within each deck and main vertical zone	A
	Stairway	0
	Lavatories, cabins, offices, pantries containing no cooking appliances	0
	Hospital	1	A
Service spaces	Laundry drying rooms, pantries containing cooking appliances	1²	A or B
	Lockers and store rooms (having a deck area of 4 m² or more ), mail and baggage rooms, specie rooms, workshops (not part of machinery spaces, galleys)	1²	B
	Galleys	1 class B and 1 additional class F or K for galleys with deep fat fryers	B, F or K
	Lockers and store rooms (deck area is less than 4 m²)	0
	Other spaces in which flammable liquids are stowed	In accordance with SOLAS regulation II-2/10.6.3
Control stations	Control stations (other than wheelhouse)	1	A or C
Control stations	Wheelhouse	2, if the wheelhouse is less than 50 m²only 1 extinguisher is required³	A or C
Machinery spaces of category A	Central control station for propulsion machinery	1, and 1 additional extinguisher suitable for electrical fires when main switchboards are arranged in central control station	A and/or C
	Vicinity of the main switchboards	2	C
	Workshops	1	A or B
	Enclosed space with oil-fired inert gas generators, incinerators and waste disposal units	2	B
	Separately enclosed room with fuel oil purifiers	0
	Periodically unattended Machinery spaces of category A	1 at each entrance ¹	B
Other spaces	Workshops forming part of machinery spaces and other machinery spaces (auxiliary spaces, electrical equipment spaces, auto – telephone exchange rooms, air conditioning spaces and other similar spaces)	1	B or C
	Weather deck	0⁴	B
	Ro-ro spaces and vehicle spaces	Spaced not more than 20 m apart on both sides of the space at each deck level in each hold or compartment where vehicles are carried⁴ , ⁵	B
	Cargo spaces	0⁴	B
	Cargo pump-room	2	B
	Helidecks	In accordance with SOLAS regulation II-2/18.5.1	B
Notes:	1	A portable fire extinguisher required for a small space may be located outside and near the entrance to that space.
	2	For service spaces, a portable fire extinguisher required for that small space placed outside or near the entrance to that space may also be considered as part of the requirement for the space in which it is located.
	3	If the wheelhouse is adjacent with the chartroom and has a door giving direct access to chartroom, no additional fire extinguisher is required in the chart room. The same applies to safety centres if they are within the boundaries of the wheelhouse in passenger ships.
	4	Two portable fire extinguishers, each having a capacity of not less than 6 kg of dry powder or equivalent, should be provided when dangerous goods are carried on the weather deck, in open ro-ro spaces and vehicle spaces, and in cargo spaces as appropriate. Two portable fire extinguishers, each having a suitable capacity, should be provided on weather deck for tankers.
	5	No portable fire extinguisher needs to be provided in cargo holds of containerships if motor vehicles with fuel in their tank for their own propulsion are carried in open or closed containers.