It is essential for shipowners to equip their crew with suitable firefighting gear to ensure the preservation of lives and vessels in the event of a fire. The appropriate equipment should enable crew members to effectively combat fires in open-air environments and enclosed spaces, all while ensuring their personal safety.

PSC PERSPECTIVE

Port State Control Officers (PSCOs) have repeatedly issued deficiencies

against the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) when firefighting suits lack the appropriate certification for firefighting in enclosed spaces. PSCOs on numerous interventions have stated that proximity suits, which are designed for open-air firefighting, do not offer adequate thermal protection against radiated heat when entering enclosed spaces where a fire is present. As proximity suits are compliant with the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the International Code for Fire Safety Systems (FSS Code), it is the opinion of some PSCOs that they may only be utilized for supportive tasks such as boundary cooling.

Some PSCOs are inferring that proper firefighting clothing should provide a level of protection at least equivalent to the gear worn by the crew during exercises for obtaining the Seafarers' Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Code A-VI/1 Basic and STCW A-VI/3 Advanced firefighting certifications.

INTERNATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

SOLAS Chapter II-2 Regulation 10 mandates the minimum number of firefighting outfits on board ships. According to Reg.10.10.2, all ships must carry at least two outfits (Reg.10.10.2.1), with additional suits required for passenger ships, gas carriers and tankers (Reg.10.10.2.2). Additionally, Reg.10.1.1 stipulates that firefighting outfits must comply with the FSS Code, detailed in Chapter 3, which outlines engineering specifications for personnel protection.

MLC Regulation 4.3 / Standard A4.3 serves as a legal framework for promoting health and safety protection and accident prevention within the maritime industry. It establishes a baseline for these essential aspects, while the flag Administrations are responsible for enacting specific MLC compliance requirements through their respective national legislation. MLC 2006 Guideline B4.3 - Health and Safety Protection and Accident Prevention, although non-mandatory, mentions that firefighting should be addressed and highlights the importance of considering the International Labour Organization (ILO) code of practice titled Accident Prevention on Board Ship at Sea and in Port, 1996 as a reference for occupational safety and health protection. Notably, the ILO code provides guidance on conducting fire drills and identifies enclosed spaces such as engine rooms and accommodation spaces as critical locations for fire scenarios.

FIREFIGHTING SUIT STANDARDS

Many suits on board are designed in accordance with the EN 531 standard. However, this standard is designed for industrial workers exposed to heat and is not intended for firefighting. Moreover, some suits labeled under EN 531 feature unprotected metal zippers, buttons or clasps, which can conduct heat and cause burns.

A protective suit meeting the demands of firefighting is one complying with the European standard EN 469:2005, as noted below. Level 2 is required for firefighting in enclosed spaces. EN 469:2005 and its revised version EN 469:2020 also mandate a risk assessment to be made.

• Xf2 / Xr2: Resistance to convective heat (Xf) and radiant heat (Xr) at the highest performance level (Level 2).
• Y2: Resistance to water penetration, which includes a mandatory moisture barrier for protection against steam and chemicals.
• Z2: Water vapor resistance (breathability), ensuring the garment can effectively manage heat stress for the wearer. 

EN 469:2020

Protective clothing for firefighters - Performance requirements for protective clothing for firefighting activities

The EN 469:2020 standard specifies performance requirement levels for firefighters’ protective clothing. The standard's pictogram summarizes three key values: X (protection against flame and radiant heat), Y (water resistance of the product), and Z (breathability).

• Flame (Xf)

  The EN ISO 9151 test method (flame test) involves heat transmission (flame) with a heat flux of 80 kW/m2.

  	Xf2	Xf1
  HTI Heat Transfer Index	Level 2	Level 1
  HTI24	≥ 13s	≥ 9s
  HTI24 - HTI12	≥ 4s	≥ 3s

  Level 1 is the lowest level; level 2 is the highest level.

• Radiant heat (Xr1 or Xr2)

  The transmission of heat (radiation) is tested in the EN 6942 test method. There is a heat flux of 40kW/m2.

  	Xr2	Xr1
  RHTI Radiation HTI	Level 2	Level 1
  RHTI 24	≥ 18s	≥ 10s
  RHTI 24 - RHTI 12	≥ 4s	≥ 3s

  Just as for the previous test, level 1 is the lowest level, while level 2 is the highest one.

  More about the test method EN ISO 6942
  

• Water tightness (Y1 or Y2)

  Waterproofne

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