🚢✨ Cruise Ships = Floating Cities… but one fire can change everything.

Fire Safety on Passenger Ships and Cruise Vessels: IMO & SOLAS Requirements

Passenger ships and cruise vessels are highly complex floating cities. With thousands of lives onboard, a single fire incident can turn catastrophic if preventive and protective measures are not designed and maintained properly. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) provides comprehensive regulations for fire prevention, fire protection, and life safety.

Below is a structured overview of requirements, enriched with numerical values directly from SOLAS regulations.

🔥 Fire Prevention Requirements (SOLAS Chapter II-2)

• Fire-resistant divisions:

  • Main vertical zones must be separated by “A-60” class bulkheads and decks (fire-resistant for 60 minutes, insulated to limit temperature rise).

  • Machinery spaces of Category A must have boundaries of at least “A-60” standard.

• Galley protection:

  • Deep-fat fryers must be fitted with an automatic fire suppression system.

  • Galley exhaust ducts must be fitted with fire dampers and grease filters.

• Material requirements:

  • At least 95% of bulkheads and linings in accommodation spaces must be non-combustible.

  • Insulation must be tested per IMO FTP Code, Annex 1 for low flame spread and toxicity.

🚒 Fire Protection Requirements

1. Fire Detection and Alarm (SOLAS II-2, Reg. 7 & 13)

• Smoke and heat detectors:

  • Required in all accommodation spaces, service spaces, and control stations.

  • Detectors must activate alarms within 120 seconds of smoke detection.

2. Fixed Fire Suppression Systems (Reg. 10)

• Sprinkler requirement:

  • Passenger ships carrying more than 36 passengers must be equipped with an automatic sprinkler, fire detection, and fire alarm system covering accommodation and service spaces.

• Machinery spaces of Category A:

  • Must be protected by CO₂, water mist, or equivalent fixed suppression system.

• Vehicle and Ro-Ro decks (Reg. 20):

  • Must have fixed water-based or foam fire-extinguishing systems designed for at least 5 liters/min/m² of deck area.

3. Portable Fire Extinguishers (SOLAS II-2, Reg. 10.3)

• Must be located so that no point in accommodation spaces is more than 10 meters from an extinguisher.

• At least one extinguisher for every 250 m² of deck area.

• In machinery spaces: at least one extinguisher for every 750 kW of machinery power, with a minimum of two per space.

4. Escape Routes & Evacuation (SOLAS II-2, Reg. 13)

• Width of escape routes:

  • Minimum 900 mm (0.9 m) for corridors serving < 100 persons.

  • Minimum 1,200 mm (1.2 m) for corridors serving ≥ 100 persons.

• Doorways in escape routes must be at least 700 mm wide and 1,980 mm high.

• Two means of escape must be provided from each main vertical zone, accommodation space, and machinery space.

• Low-location lighting (LLL): must be fitted not more than 300 mm above deck level.

🛟 Life Safety Requirements (SOLAS Chapter III)

• Lifeboats and Life Rafts (Reg. 6 & 7):

  • Each person onboard must have a seat in a lifeboat or life raft.

  • Lifeboats must be able to be launched within 30 minutes after the abandon ship signal.

• Life jackets:

  • One per person + 10% additional reserve.

  • Each life jacket must have a light visible for 2 hours at a distance of 2 nautical miles.

• Passenger Muster Drills (Reg. 19):

  • Mandatory within 24 hours of embarkation.

  • Crew fire drills must be conducted at least once every month.

🔧 Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance (ITM)

IMO Circular MSC.1/Circ.1432 + SOLAS II-2, Reg. 14 specify maintenance intervals:

Weekly / Monthly:

• Check emergency lighting and alarms.

• Inspect all extinguishers visually.

• Test fire pumps and hydrants.

Quarterly / Semi-Annual:

• Test fire detection system functions.

• Operate sample sprinklers and check alarms.

• Inspect escape route lighting and LLL.

Annual:

• Test sprinkler pump capacity and pressure.

• Inspect and hydro-test sample hoses.

• Test emergency generator start-up and supply.

• Inspect lifeboats, davits, and rescue boats.

Five-Yearly:

• Hydrostatic testing of CO₂ cylinders and pressure vessels.

• Overhaul of sprinkler and water mist system valves.

• Load test on lifeboat release gear and winches.

✅ Conclusion

Passenger and cruise ships are bound by IMO & SOLAS fire safety requirements to ensure both fire survivability of the ship and life safety of passengers and crew. Strict compliance with fire prevention, protection, and inspection regimes is not optional—it is the difference between safety and disaster at sea.

👉 To validate the design and ensure compliance for your company, contact us at:
📧 agnirakshaniti@gmail.com