Vessel Construction and Equipment Regulations (SOR/2023-257)

Fire Protection on Board Vessels without Mechanical Means of Propulsion

Marginal note:Application

302 Sections 303 to 313 apply in respect of vessels that do not have a mechanical means of propulsion.

Marginal note:Approved systems

• 303 (1) The authorized representative of a vessel must ensure that the fixed fire-extinguishing system referred to in section 305 and the inert gas system referred to in subsection 308(1) are of a type approved by the Minister as complying with the requirements of the FSS Code.

• Marginal note:Approved fire extinguisher

  (2) The authorized representative of a vessel must ensure that the fire extinguishers referred to in paragraph 304(b), subparagraphs 305(a)(ii) and (iii), (b)(ii) and (c)(ii) and paragraphs 305(d) and (e)

  • (a) bear a mark indicating that they have been certified for marine use by a product certification body; or

  • (b) are of a type that have been approved for marine use by the U.S. Coast Guard.

• Marginal note:Approved smoke detector

  (3) The authorized representative of a vessel must ensure that the smoke detector referred to in subsection 313(2) is certified by a product certification body or is of a type that has been approved by a recognized organization.

• Marginal note:Definition of product certification body

  (4) For the purposes of this section, product certification body means a body that is accredited by the Standards Council of Canada, or by any other national accreditation organization that is a member of the International Accreditation Forum Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA), to give third-party written assurance that a product meets the specified requirements for the product, including initial certification and maintenance of that certification.

Marginal note:Vessels carrying a person

304 A vessel that carries a person must be equipped with the following firefighting equipment and systems:

• (a) in each space occupied by a person, one fire extinguisher for each 15 m of length in that space, or fraction of that length;

• (b) in each galley, one fire extinguisher that is suitable for class F or K fires;

• (c) if the vessel is less than 45 m in length, one fire axe located in the part of the vessel that enables the most convenient and serviceable use of the axe in the case of an emergency;

• (d) if the vessel is 45 m in length or more, two fire axes located in parts of the vessel that enable the most convenient and serviceable use of the axes in the case of an emergency;

• (e) a power-operated fire pump with an apparatus allowing it to generate at least one powerful jet of water that can be rapidly directed into any part of the vessel; and

• (f) in the case of a tanker, a water fog applicator fitted with a fixed water fog nozzle or capable of being fitted with a water spray nozzle.

Marginal note:Vessels equipped with machinery

305 A vessel that is equipped with machinery must carry the following fire-extinguishing equipment and systems:

• (a) in a boiler room fitted with oil burners

  • (i) a fixed fire-extinguishing system,

  • (ii) a foam fire extinguisher, if the number of burners does not exceed two, and with one additional foam fire extinguisher for each additional burner, with a maximum requirement of four extinguishers,

  • (iii) a 135 L foam fire extinguisher with hoses on reels capable of allowing the spray to reach any part of the boiler room, and

  • (iv) a receptacle containing at least 0.1 m³ of sand or other dry material suitable for quenching oil fires, and a shovel for distributing the material;

• (b) in every compartment containing internal combustion engines

  • (i) a fixed fire-extinguishing system, and

  • (ii) a foam fire extinguisher, if the power of the engines does not exceed 373 kW, and with an additional foam fire extinguisher for each additional 746 kW or fraction of that power, with a maximum requirement of four extinguishers;

• (c) in any cargo pump-room

  • (i) a fixed fire-extinguishing system operated from a readily accessible position outside the pump room, and

  • (ii) a foam fire extinguisher;

• (d) in any cargo space, two foam fire extinguishers located where most convenient in case of emergency; and

• (e) in any control station, one powder fire extinguisher. 

Marginal note:Fire-extinguishing system

306 A tanker must have a deck foam fire-extinguishing system.

Marginal note:Venting system

307 A tanker must have a venting system with devices that prevent the passage of flame into the cargo tanks.

Marginal note:Inert gas system

• 308 (1) A tanker that is fitted with an inert gas system must comply with the requirements set out in regulation 4.5.5.3 of Chapter II-2 of SOLAS.

• Marginal note:Alternative to FSS Code

  (2) Despite subsection 303(1), the inert gas system may be of a type approved by the Minister as complying with the requirements of a recognized organization instead of the requirements set out in the FSS Code.

• Marginal note:Installation equivalent to inert gas system

  (3) A tanker that does not have a mechanical means of propulsion and that is fitted with an installation equivalent to an inert gas system must comply with the requirements set out in regulation 4.5.5.4 of Chapter II-2 of SOLAS.

Marginal note:Cargo tank purging and gas-freeing

309 A tanker that is not fitted with an inert gas system or equivalent installation must have other arrangements for the purging or gas-freeing of empty cargo tanks and the arrangements must comply with the requirements set out in regulation 4.5.6 of Chapter II-2 of SOLAS.

Marginal note:Protection of cargo area

310 A tanker must be fitted with drip pans, cargo hoses and tank washing hoses in accordance with regulation 4.5.9 of Chapter II-2 of SOLAS.

Marginal note:Protection of cargo tanks

311 A vessel must not be fitted with valves, fittings, tank opening covers, cargo vent piping or cargo piping made with materials that are readily rendered ineffective by heat.

Marginal note:Operational readiness and maintenance

312 The master of a vessel must ensure that the firefighting equipment and systems and fire protection systems on board the vessel comply with the requirements set out in regulation 14 of Chapter II-2 of SOLAS.

Marginal note:Vessel that can accommodate persons overnight

• 313 (1) A vessel that can accommodate persons overnight must comply with the requirements set out in sections 205 to 234 of the Vessel Fire Safety Regulations or the fire safety requirements for accommodation barges published by a recognized organization.

• Marginal note:Smoke detectors

  (2) The vessel must have a smoke detector installed in every cabin, accommodation space, service space, control station and machinery space.

[314 to 399 reserved]

PART 4Consequential and Related Amendments, Repeals and Coming into Force

Consequential and Related Amendments

Canada Labour Code

Maritime Occupational Health and Safety Regulations

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Administrative Monetary Penalties (Canada Labour Code) Regulations

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Canada Shipping Act, 2001

Hull Construction Regulations

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Life Saving Equipment Regulations

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