Improvements to a fire safety management system

The statistics invariably show that most onboard fires originate in the engine room. In hazardous conditions, fires can spread to other rooms of the ship and cause the loss of human life, and can cause the ship to be out of service or lost completely. To prevent these serious consequences, the engine room crew should be aware of hazards and ways to prevent them. It is also advisable to support their routine activities and actions in critical situations with an appropriate management system. For this reason, a survey was conducted at the beginning of 2019 of engine room crew members employed by a European shipowner, as a contribution to an analysis of fire safety management. Based on the results of the survey, some of the elements of the fire safety management system of the ship engine room are described. A properly constructed system that is understandable and accepted by the crew is one of the most important factors in increasing fire safety on a ship. Familiarisation with adequate procedures can significantly contribute to the successful prevention of accidents. This paper also proposes a checklist based on suggestions by the crew, which may be helpful in onboard fire prevention.