7.6 Ventilation
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Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - International Codes - HSC 2000 Code - International Code of Safety for High-Speed Craft, 2000 – Resolution MSC.97(73) - Chapter 7 - Fire safety - PART A - GENERAL - 7.6 Ventilation

7.6 Ventilation

  7.6.1 The main inlets and outlets of all ventilation systems shall be capable of being closed from outside the spaces being ventilated. The controls shall be easily accessible as well as prominently and permanently marked and shall indicate whether the shut-off is open or closed. In addition, such openings to areas of major fire hazard shall be capable of being closed from a continuously manned control station.

  7.6.2 All ventilation fans shall be capable of being stopped from outside the spaces which they serve, and from outside the spaces in which they are installed. Ventilation fans serving areas of major fire hazard shall be capable of being operated from a continuously manned control station. The means provided for stopping the power ventilation to the machinery space shall be separated from the means provided for stopping ventilation of other spaces.

  7.6.3 Areas of major fire hazard and spaces serving as assembly stations shall have independent ventilation systems and ventilation ducts. Ventilation ducts for areas of major fire hazard shall not pass through other spaces, unless they are contained within a trunk or in an extended machinery space or casing insulated in accordance with tables 7.4-1 and 7.4-2; ventilation ducts of other spaces shall not pass through areas of major fire hazard. Ventilation outlets from areas of major fire hazard shall not terminate within a distance of 1 m from any control station, evacuation station or external escape route. In addition, exhaust ducts from galley ranges shall be fitted with:

  • .1 a grease trap, readily removable for cleaning, unless an alternative approved grease removal system is fitted;

  • .2 a fire damper located in the lower end of the duct (the junction between the duct and the galley range hood) which is automatically and remotely operated, and in addition a remotely operated fire damper located in the upper end of the duct;

  • .3 a fixed means for extinguishing a fire within the duct;

  • .4 remote control arrangements for shutting off the exhaust fans and supply fans, for operating the fire dampers mentioned in .2 and for operating the fire-extinguishing system, which shall be placed in a position close to the entrance to the galley. Where a multi-branch system is installed, a remote means, located with the above controls, shall be provided to close all branches exhausting through the same main duct before an extinguishing medium is released into the system; and

  • .5 suitably located hatches for inspection and cleaning. At minimum, one hatch shall be provided close to the exhaust fan and others located in areas of high grease accumulation such as the lower end of the duct as referred to in 7.6.3.2.

  7.6.4 Where a ventilation duct passes through a fire-resisting division, a fail safe automatic closing fire damper shall be fitted adjacent to the division. The duct between the division and the damper shall be of steel or other equivalent material and insulated to the same standard as required for the fire resisting division. The fire damper may be omitted where ducts pass through spaces surrounded by fire-resisting divisions without serving those spaces providing that the duct has the same structural fire protection time as the divisions it penetrates. Where a ventilation duct passes through a smoke-tight division, a smoke damper shall be fitted at the penetration unless the duct which passes through the space does not serve that space. Fire and smoke dampers shall be arranged so as to be readily accessible. Where placed behind ceilings or linings, they shall be provided with an inspection door marked to identify the damper. Such identification shall also be placed on any required remote controls.

  7.6.5 Where ventilation systems penetrate decks, the arrangements shall be such that the effectiveness of the deck in resisting fire is not thereby impaired and precautions shall be taken to reduce the likelihood of smoke and hot gases passing from one between-deck space to another through the system.

  7.6.6 All dampers fitted on fire-resisting or smoke-tight divisions shall also be capable of being manually closed from each side of the division in which they are fitted, except for those dampers fitted on ducts serving spaces not normally manned such as stores and toilets that may be manually operated only from outside the served spaces. Manual closing may be achieved by mechanical means of release or by remote operation of the fire or smoke damper by means of a fail-safe electrical switch or pneumatic release (i.e. spring-loaded, etc.). All dampers shall also be capable of being remotely closed from the continuously manned control station.

  7.6.7 Ducts shall be made of non-combustible or fire restricting material. Short ducts, however, may be of combustible materials subject to the following conditions:

  • .1 their cross-section does not exceed 0.02 m2;

  • .2 their length does not exceed 2 m;

  • .3 they may only be used at the terminal end of the ventilation system;

  • .4 they shall not be situated less than 600 mm from an opening in a fire-resisting or fire-restricting division; and

  • .5 their surfaces have low flame spread characteristics.

Parent topic: PART A - GENERAL
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