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India’s ports are undergoing rapid expansion under Sagarmala and Maritime India Vision 2030. New hubs like Vizhinjam International Seaport (Kerala), the proposed Vadhavan Port (Maharashtra), and upcoming satellite ports in Odisha are reshaping ocean trade connectivity. Alongside capacity growth, the fire risk profile is increasing — with larger ships, hazardous cargo, and denser container yards.
This makes fire prevention, protection, and emergency preparedness central to safe port operations.
Tank farms & pipelines: risk of pool fires, jet fires, BLEVE.
Container stacks: undeclared dangerous goods and lithium batteries.
Ro-Ro terminals: vehicle & EV battery fires.
Hot works & electrical faults: in yards, sheds, cranes.
Ship-shore interface: cargo transfer, bunkering, shipboard fires.
Segregation of hazardous cargo; bunded storage for liquids.
Strict hot-work permit systems with fire-watch.
DG declaration & container inspection.
Regular preventive maintenance of pumps, hydrants & foam systems.
As per IS 13039:2014 & NBC Part 4 (2016):
Hydrant spacing:
Light hazard → every 60 m
Ordinary hazard → every 45 m
High hazard → every 30 m
Proximity: hydrants 5–15 m from high-hazard buildings/tank farms; min 2 m from building face.
Coverage: no point of a floor >45 m (light hazard 60 m; high hazard 30 m) from a hydrant.
Foam systems: tank farms & tanker berths must handle two foam jets of 1,140 L/min each, with tested proportioning.
Monitors: installed at quays, open yards & tank farm perimeters.
Fireproofing: structural members rated per NBC (60–180 min). Protection via intumescent coatings, SFRM, or encasement.
Self-Righting Rescue Vessels (SSRV): kept on standby for quick crew rescue during pier/shipboard fires or man-overboard emergencies.
Firefighting tug boats (FiFi class):
At least 1 tug with FiFi-I (2,400 m³/hr capacity) for medium ports.
2 or more FiFi-I/II tugs required for major ports, depending on vessel size, berth layout & tanker traffic.
Tugs must deliver monitored water/foam jets with reach across the largest design vessel beam.
Guideline baseline: one firefighting tug per 3–4 berths handling tankers or DG cargo, subject to risk assessment.
Port Emergency Plan (PEP): unified command with port authority, terminal operators & municipal fire services.
Emergency Control Centre: with CCTV, SCADA & direct fire service links.
Fire-water redundancy: duty + standby pumps, sea-water intake and hydrant loops.
Multi-agency drills: covering shipboard fires, tank farm fires, container yard incidents.
Mutual aid & external coordination: Coast Guard, Navy, local fire services.
India’s port expansion is an economic necessity — but with growth comes risk. Fire safety by design (hydrant layout, foam capacity, structural fireproofing, firefighting tug deployment) and strong emergency planning are non-negotiable for resilience.
We offer a full suite of HSEFS services designed to address your specific challenges and goals : HSE Consulting & Advisory, HSE Auditing & Assurance, HSE Training & Development, Implementation & Support, Environmental Services
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