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.
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.
Port State Control detentions in the Asia-Pacific are not random. The same Tokyo MOU deficiency categories detain ships year after year, and knowing them is the difference between a three-hour inspection and a three-day detention.
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.
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.
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.
The late-February attack on the Skylight tanker near Khasab Port is not an isolated incident. It is the opening move in a campaign that could redraw global energy maps and push oil prices toward historic highs.