Major engine room fire has been the biggest nightmare for ship owners and operators. Fire in the engine room disables the ships propelling plant resulting in collision or grounding of the vessel. There have been frequent engine room fires occurring in vessels either on board or even at the docks where people have lost lives in the engine room. To avoid this problem, the engine room should be put into necessary maintenance. The contributory factor of engine room fires has been the sudden shearing off bolts that secure the lubricating oil filter cover allowing oil to splash on hot components of the running engines. Improper tightening of filter cover bolts, lack of proper inspection, and failure to cover the engine turbocharger (T/C) bowers, and plastic light fixtures add to the intensity of the engine fire. Proper maintenance is the key factor in preventing and avoiding engine room fires. The engine room should be thoroughly inspected to ensure that there is no hazardous leakage oil in the machinery space of the ship. Care should be taken to ensure that insulation wraps and blankets are kept tight and fastened in a manner to prevent dripping or spraying fluids from traveling to exposed hotspots. Insulation seams should be made tight and where possible aligned in a way to avoid the pooling of fluid and to repel dripping. The general cleanliness standard in the machinery space should be kept high. Continuous and thorough cleaning will expose exhaust pipes, which are likely to cause leakage avoiding this potential risk. The equipment in the engine fire room must be inspected regularly, well-maintained, and ready for operation at all times.
| Equipment | Conditions of the equipment | GOOD | BAD |
| Fire pumps |
Check fire main relief valves if they are fitted Test isolating valves in the fire main Pumps are individually tested with two hoses supplying water to the extremities of the vessel and water pressure is checked Ensure pressure gauges function properly. Pipework is checked and is in good condition |
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| Cleanliness |
Ensure drip trays and save alls are empty. Machinery spaces including steering gear space, tank tops, and bilges are free of excess oil and other fire hazards. |
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| Emergency quick closing valves and shutdowns |
Records of regular oil level checks and leak testing must be available Wire must regular inspection or the test records on board For air quick closing valves, check pressure gauges and verify that the system is fully charged |
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| Fire prevention |
Insulate and protect hot surfaces Ensure lamps and fittings are in good condition Insulation should be in good condition and not wet with oil. The garbage should be segregated in metal receptacles fitted with metal lids |
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| Fire prone areas |
Ensure that all deck and bulkheads penetrations remain tight and are of appropriate fire rating Outer sleeves of the high-pressure fuel pipes should be fitted correctly Examining insulation for condition and satisfactory adhesion, no missing or detached portions |
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| Jacketed piping system for high pressure fuel lines |
Ensure that an approved system is in place Leak alarm should be in working conditions Ensure a leak tank is in place |
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In conclusion, the owners and operators of any vessel, as well as those involved in the inspection of the ship, should be aware of the possible and potential risks associated with engine room fires. Engine room crew should refit brackets, close quick valves, and lag when carrying maintenance to avoid the leakages that may occur because of ignorance.
References
Chen, G. Q., Lu, S. X., & Zhuang, L. (2006). Fire development processes in machine rooms [J]. Journal of University of Science and Technology of China , 1 , 017.
Kim, S. W., Wall, A., Wang, J., & Kwon, Y. S. (2006). Fire-risk modelling of machinery space: An application of approximate reasoning approach (fuzzy averaging method) in passenger ship engine room. International Journal of Offshore and Polar Engineering , 16 (01).
