The Isle of Man Ship Registry has recently issued a new shipping notice, specifically Manx Shipping Notice (MSN) 057 (Revised 05/2025), which outlines the minimum level of maintenance and inspection required for fire protection systems and appliances onboard Isle of Man-registered ships. This notice is a direct response to the requirements of SOLAS regulation II-2/14, reports Safety4sea.
Strict Compliance
All fire protection systems and appliances on a ship must be maintained in good working order and be immediately available for use whenever the vessel is in service. Should any fire protection system undergo maintenance, testing, or repair, alternative fixed or portable fire protection equipment or other compensatory measures must be put in place to ensure that the ship’s overall safety is not compromised. The vessel’s onboard maintenance plan should explicitly include provisions for such circumstances.
Onboard maintenance and inspections are to be conducted strictly under the ship’s maintenance plan. While some maintenance procedures and assessments can be performed by competent crew members, others necessitate completion by personnel specifically trained in the maintenance of those particular systems. The onboard maintenance plan should clearly delineate which aspects of inspections and maintenance require trained personnel. Additionally, the crew is responsible for carrying out inspections to ensure that all required weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual, two-year, five-year, and ten-year actions for specified equipment are meticulously performed.
Key Items
The Ship Registry places strong emphasis on annual inspections, which are crucial for ensuring that specified actions are carried out for relevant equipment. Here are the first four of thirteen key items to be checked:
1. Fire mains, fire pumps, hydrants, hoses, and nozzles
- Visually inspect all accessible components to confirm they are in proper condition.
- Conduct flow tests on all fire pumps to verify proper pressure and capacity. The emergency fire pump must be tested with isolation valves closed.
- Test all hydrant valves to ensure proper operation.
- Pressure test a sample of fire hoses at the maximum fire main pressure, ensuring that all fire hoses are tested within a five-year cycle.
- Verify that all fire pump relief valves, if provided, are properly set.
- Examine all filters/strainers to confirm they are free of debris and contamination.
- Confirm that nozzle size/type is correct, nozzles are maintained, and in working order.
2. Fixed fire detection and fire alarm systems
- Test all fire detection systems and fire detection systems used to automatically release fire-extinguishing systems for proper operation, as appropriate.
- Visually inspect all accessible detectors for evidence of tampering, obstruction, etc., ensuring that all detectors are inspected within one year.
- Test the emergency power supply switchover.
3. Fixed gas fire-extinguishing systems
- Visually inspect all accessible components for proper condition.
- Externally examine all high-pressure cylinders for evidence of damage or corrosion.
- Check the hydrostatic test date of all storage containers.
- Functionally test all fixed system audible and visual alarms.
- Verify all control/section valves are in the correct position.
- Check the connections of all pilot release piping and tubing for tightness.
- Examine all flexible hoses following the manufacturer’s recommendations.
- Test all fuel shut-off controls connected to fire-protection systems for proper operation.
- The boundaries of the protected space should be visually inspected to confirm that no modifications have been made to the enclosure that have created uncloseable openings that would render the system ineffective.
- If cylinders are installed inside the protected space, verify the integrity of the double release lines inside the protected space, and check low-pressure or circuit integrity monitors on the release cabinet, as applicable.
4. Foam fire-extinguishing systems
- Visually inspect all accessible components for proper condition.
- Functionally test all fixed system audible alarms.
- Flow test all water supply and foam pumps for proper pressure and capacity, and confirm flow at the required pressure in each section (ensuring all piping is thoroughly flushed with fresh water after service).
- Test all system cross-connections to other sources of water supply for proper operation.
- Verify all pump relief valves, if provided, are properly set.
- Examine all filters/strainers to verify they are free of debris and contamination.
- Verify all control/section valves are in the correct position.
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Source: Safety4sea
