“Educational series based on IMO Resolution A.951(23)”
Portable fire extinguishers on ships are not just “red boxes on the wall”. They are part of the primary safety system that must be ready to use at any time. But, who ensures that they remain serviceable?
The IMO (International Maritime Organization) issued Resolution A.951(23) as a technical guideline for the inspection and maintenance of fire extinguishing equipment on ships. For portable fire extinguishers (APAR), this regulation requires:
- Monthly visual inspection by the ship’s crew (check pressure, seals, labels, and physical condition of the unit).
- Annual inspection by a professional, including function and leak testing.
- Hydrostatic testing every 5 years to ensure the cylinder’s strength to withstand pressure.
For all the regulation stated above, we must be curious, why is this inspection important? Fire extinguisher should always be in check because there are a lot of cases such as air pressure drops, the media content is lumpy or expired, the pin is missing or the seal is damaged. if those occures during emergency, it fails to function during an emergency resulting dangering the crew who use it.
There are several steps to common maintenance process to keep your fire extinguisher always ready to use:
- Visual Inspection, check the condition of the cylinder, label, seal, pressure.
- Function Test, make sure the nozzle is not clogged and the media comes out properly.
- Weighing, compare the actual weight with the standard content weight.
- Recharge / Refill, replace the extinguishing media if necessary.
- Hydrotest, the cylinder pressure is tested to ensure it is not cracked / weak.
According to a study by the Marine Safety Board, more than 30% of extinguishers on ships fail the annual inspection due to lack of maintenance. This makes ships vulnerable to being detained during port inspections. Fire extinguisher maintenance is not just a formality, it is part of the ship’s operational obligations.
Crew must know the signs of a problematic extinguisher. Keep an inspection logbook and ensure all extinguishers are properly labeled and sealed.
