3.3.1 Cargo machinery spaces shall be situated
above the weather deck and located within the cargo area. Cargo machinery
spaces and turret compartments shall be treated as cargo pump-rooms
for the purpose of fire protection according to SOLAS regulation II-2/9.2.4, and for the purpose of prevention
of potential explosion according to SOLAS regulation ll-2/4.5.10.
3.3.2 When cargo machinery spaces are located
at the after end of the aftermost hold space or at the forward end
of the foremost hold space, the limits of the cargo area, as defined
in 1.2.7, shall be extended to include the cargo machinery spaces
for the full breadth and depth of the ship and the deck areas above
those spaces.
3.3.3 Where the limits of the cargo area are extended
by 3.3.2, the bulkhead that separates the cargo machinery spaces from
accommodation and service spaces, control stations and machinery spaces
of category A shall be located so as to avoid the entry of gas to
these spaces through a single failure of a deck or bulkhead.
3.3.4 Cargo compressors and cargo pumps may be
driven by electric motors in an adjacent non-hazardous space separated
by a bulkhead or deck, if the seal around the bulkhead penetration
ensures effective gastight segregation of the two spaces. Alternatively,
such equipment may be driven by certified safe electric motors adjacent
to them if the electrical installation complies with the requirements
of chapter 10.
3.3.5 Arrangements of cargo machinery spaces and
turret compartments shall ensure safe unrestricted access for personnel
wearing protective clothing and breathing apparatus, and in the event
of injury to allow unconscious personnel to be removed. At least two
widely separated escape routes and doors shall be provided in cargo
machinery spaces, except that a single escape route may be accepted
where the maximum travel distance to the door is 5 m or less.
3.3.6 All valves necessary for cargo handling
shall be readily accessible to personnel wearing protective clothing.
Suitable arrangements shall be made to deal with drainage of pump
and compressor rooms.
3.3.7 Turret compartments shall be designed to
retain their structural integrity in case of explosion or uncontrolled
high-pressure gas release (overpressure and/or brittle fracture),
the characteristics of which shall be substantiated on the basis of
a risk analysis with due consideration of the capabilities of the
pressure relieving devices.