The Firefighting Foam Ban: What AFFF Phase-Out Means at Sea
PFOS foam is banned from ships from 2026, and the EU rule bites harder still. Why swapping AFFF for fluorine-free foam is not a simple refill.
Firefighting Systems
Fixed and portable systems, foam and the PFAS phase-out, detection and breathing apparatus. Fire safety is the leading detainable deficiency category under the Tokyo MOU. These articles cover the FSS Code in practice, how to choose suppression for a given space, and the inspection findings that recur year after year.
The IMO FSS Code: A Practical Compliance Guide for Shipowners
The IMO Fire Safety Systems Code is the detailed technical rulebook that turns SOLAS Chapter II-2 fire protection obligations into specific performance, installation, testing, and maintenance requirements that surveyors, class societies, and flag states can verify. For shipowners, understanding what the Code requires in practice, and where compliance most commonly breaks down, is essential for survey readiness, PSC performance, and crew safety.
Fire Suppression Systems on Offshore Platforms: Choosing the Right Solution
Offshore platform fire suppression is not a one-system decision. Each area of a platform presents a distinct fire hazard profile, and matching the right suppression technology to that profile is as important as the system’s raw performance. A system that is wrong for the application is not just ineffective. In some cases, it is dangerous.
Top Fire Safety Non-Compliance Issues on Ships: PSC Findings & How to Fix Them
Fire safety deficiencies are consistently among the leading causes of detainable PSC findings on ships. The same non-compliances appear repeatedly across vessel types and flag states, engine room housekeeping failures, inoperable detection systems, structural breaches, and fire drills that test paperwork rather than people. Understanding where these gaps occur is the first step to closing them before an inspector finds them.
CO₂ vs Foam vs Water Mist: Choosing the Right Fire Suppression System for Your Vessel
Regulatory compliance tells you a fire suppression system is permitted. It does not tell you it is the right one. Each area of a vessel presents a distinct fire hazard profile, and the agent that protects a machinery space well may be the wrong choice a bulkhead away.
Annual Fire Extinguisher Inspections
Portable fire extinguishers are the first line of defence when a fire ignites, but only if they work. In marine, offshore, and industrial environments, annual inspections are the mechanism that ensures they will. Here is what operators need to know about scope, standards, and sustained readiness.