Fire safety
on ships

The fire safety of international merchant vessels is governed by the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) drawn up by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The Convention imposes the Fire Test Procedures Code (FTP Code) for fire-resistant constructions and materials used in ships.

The FTP Code covers different aspects of fire performance, to be determined in accordance with the type of construction and materials, including products such as textiles, upholstered furniture, and bedding:

non-combustibility (Annex 1 – Part 1*)
smoke and toxicity  (Annex 1 – Part 2)
fire resistance of fire-resistant divisions (Annex 1 – Part 3)
fire resistance of fire-door closing mechanisms  (Annex 1 – Part 4)
surface flammability and flame propagation (Annex 1 – Part 5 to 9)
reaction to fire of surface materials (Annex 1 – Part 10)
rate of flame production and heat of combustion (Annex 1 – Part 10)
fire-resistant divisions (Annex 1 – Part 11)
gross calorific value (Annex 2)

* Part(s) of the FTP Code concerned

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our References.

Your projects
are our responsibility.

In its role as a ‘one-stop shop’ in partnership with Eurailtest, CERIB’s Fire Testing Centre will assist you in validating the performance of your new products in terms of both fire resistance and reaction to fire. Our services include:

carrying out reaction-to-fire tests as per the FTP Code:
– Non-combustibility tests
(FTP Code, Annex 1, Part 1)
– Smoke and toxicity tests
(FTP Code, Annex 1, Part 2)
– Vertical fire-propagation tests
(FTP Code, Annex 1, Part 5)
– Heat of combustion measurements
(FTP Code, Annex 1, Part 10)
– Determination of gross calorific value
(FTP Code, Annex 2)
– Fire testing of electric cables
(Standard NF EN 13501-6: Euroclasses B1ca, B2ca, Cca, Dca and Eca) – (Standard NF C 32-070: Class C2).

carrying out fire-resistance tests as per the FTP Code:
– Fire-resistance testing of decks, bulkheads, doors, ceilings, linings – Type A, B and F class divisions
(FTP Code, Annex 1, Part 3, Appendices 1 and 2)
– Fire-resistance testing of windows, fire dampers, pipe penetrations, and cable trays installed in Type A class divisions
(FTP Code, Annex 1, Part 3, Appendices 1 and 2)
– Thermal-radiation measurements on windows in Type A, B, and F class divisions
(FTP Code, Annex 1, Part 3, Appendix 3)
– Fire-resistance testing of continuous ceilings, continuous linings – Type B class divisions
(FTP Code, Annex 1, Part 3, Appendix 4)
– Fire-resistance testing of fire-door closing mechanisms
(FTP Code, Annex 1, Part 4)
– Fire-resistance testing of bulkheads (non-loadbearing, loadbearing with a metal core, loadbearing without metal core) for high-speed vessels
(FTP Code, Annex 1, Part 11).

LEM (Eurailtest laboratory).

The LEM laboratory run jointly by SNCF and RATP is accredited by COFRAC for testing reaction to fire as per several standards, in particular Part 2 of the EN 45545 series of standards (Accreditation No. 1-1523 – Scope available on cofrac.fr).

Our other sectors of activity.

Buildings.

ICPE.

Tunnels.

Rail.