|
PREVIOUS | TABLE OF
CONTENTS | NEXT
Part III
Helicopter Fuelling and Servicing Facilities
Part III Table
Helicopter Fuelling Systems ^
12 (1) (a) Permanent aviation-fuel facilities, including hull
structural and
permanent non-hull structural tanks, should be designed,
constructed and located in accordance with approved plans:
(b) Portable aviation-fuel facilities, including portable tanks,
should;
- be designed, constructed and located aboard a ship in
accordance with approved plans,
- be secured to the ship to the satisfaction of an
Inspector and the Master or where no Master is carried, the
Person having Command, and
- meet the requirements of the Dangerous Goods Shipping
Regulations covering shipping arrangements for the particular
type of aviation fuel carried.
(2) Where helicopter fuelling systems are fitted aboard ship, an
information manual covering all aspects of aviation fuel bunkering,
storing and helicopter refuelling should be available on the ship for
the use of all personnel, particularly those directly involved in the
handling of the fuel and the manual should clearly state;
- all hazardous characteristics of, and potential problems
related to, the particular fuel being used, and
- prevention and control arrangements for accidents such as
fuel spillage and clothing soaking.
(3) In addition to periodic inspections by an Inspector in accordance
with Ship Safety Branch Regulations, a ship’s engineer, or other
person whose responsibilities include fuel-transfer operations, and a
representative of the Helicopter Operations Officer should, for fuel
quality control purposes, jointly inspect and approve aviation-fuel
systems whenever such systems are opened for cleaning or periodic
inspection.
(4) The bunkering of aviation fuel to be stored in a ship’s
permanent tanks, and the resetting of valves in the system for
fuel-dispensing operations, should be carried out under the direction of
the ship’s Chief Engineer, or other Person-in-Charge whose
responsibilities include oil transfer operations.
(5) Dispensing of aviation fuel to a helicopter should be carried out
under the direction of the Helicopter operations officer and approval of
the fuel’s suitability for use should be the responsibility of the
helicopter Pilot-in-Command.
(6) Before aviation fuel is bunkered, both a ship’s officer, as
prescribed in subsection (4), and a Helicopter operations officer should
approve the type of fuel in respect of safety and suitability for
storage aboard a ship and for use in helicopters.
(7) Subject to subsection (8) aviation fuel for dispensing to a
helicopter aboard a ship should have a flashpoint not less than 38°C;
signs on the fuel-dispenser door and any portable tank should
prominently indicate the type of fuel contained (e.g. Jet A-1).
(8) Jet B wide-cut type aviation turbine fuel may be used aboard ship
in those geographical areas where, due to low ambient temperatures,
helicopter operational manuals preclude the use of fuel having a
flashpoint in excess of 38°C.
(9) Before a ship’s officer, as prescribed in subsection (4), and a
Helicopter Operations officer accept aviation fuel aboard a ship, the
vendor should provide both with certificate showing:
- the Canadian General Standards Board specification number of
the fuel, or equivalent;
- where possible, the approved closed-cup test flashpoint point
of the fuel;
- the name of the vendor; and
- the oil producer certifying the fuel.
(10) The ship’s officer, as prescribed in subsection (4), should,
- where fuel is received in portable tanks or drums, ensure
that the containers have unbroken Oil Company seals and are readily
identifiable from accompanying documentation; or,
- where fuel is delivered in bulk to a ship’s permanent
tanks, have a 4L sample taken for testing purposes or for retention
until all the fuel has been consumed; the sample should be stored in
a sealed clean container meeting the requirements of ASTM Std.
D4306-84, "Sampling Aviation Fuel for Tests Affected by
Trace Contamination" and the container clearly labelled
with the information that the sample has been taken from the
supplied fuel.
(11) In the design of a ship’s aviation-fuel system, the following
fuel characteristics should be taken into account:
- flashpoint;
- initial boiling point;
- kinematic viscosity, at relevant low temperatures if
operations are to be in cold climatic conditions;
- Reid vapour pressure, particularly if it may expose the tank
to explosive vapour/air mixtures;
- flame-spread and burning rates;
- electrostatic-spark discharge properties, particularly where
agitation of the fuel may occur, as for example, in flow through
pipes and sloshing in tanks; and
- purity for safe operation of helicopters.
(12) Except where otherwise prescribed in these Guidelines,
aviation-fuel systems should conform to relevant sections of the
Marine Machinery and Electrical Equipment Regulations, particularly
those covering unfired pressure vessels, pipes, valves and similar
components for fuel systems.
(13) All components, piping, tanks, cofferdams, and compartments
connected with aviation-fuel systems should be light in colour; at
suitable points the piping should be coded with concentric black stripes
upon which, where practicable, are white arrows indicating direction of
fuel flow.
(14) Material used for the containment and transfer of aviation fuel
should:
- not affect the purity of the fuel supply to the helicopter;
- be steel, or an equivalent fire-resistant material, suitable
for use in the marine environment; and
- where subjected to stress at low temperatures, be proven to
be resistant to failure owing to such low temperatures.
(15) Short flexible pipe fittings should be metal-reinforced; short
flexible pipe fittings, aviation-fuel hoses and fuel nozzles should be
certified by a pertinent authority as suitable for aviation fuel
service, with gravity type fuel nozzles being designed to shut off fuel
flow when not held open by the refuelling attendant.
(16) The aviation-fuel system, including pumping arrangements, should
be located clear of ignition sources and damage hazards and as far as
practicable from accommodation spaces, escape routes, embarkation
stations, all ventilation openings and Category A machinery spaces;
piping should be left exposed to detect defects and leakage; where such
exposure is impracticable, the piping should be installed within a
gastight tunnel or larger pipe.
(17) Helicopter engines should be shut off before refuelling
operations begin and remain so until refuelling, including removal of
any spilled fuel, is complete, except where the Master and the
helicopter Pilot-in-Command consider that stopping the controlled rotor
motion would endanger the helicopter and the ship, as, for example, in
high wind conditions.
(18) Provision should be made for preventing overpressure in any part
of the fuel pumping system, with relief-valve discharges leading back to
the suction sides of pumps or to suitable tanks.
(19) Provision should be made for the safe containment and later
disposal of substandard fuel rejected for use in a helicopter and of
fuel removed from a helicopter.
(20) Facilities should be provided for containing any fuel spillage
during ship-bunkering and helicopter-refuelling operations; three bags
of fuel absorbent material, each of approximately 20 kg weight and
stored in moisture proof bags, should be made available adjacent to the
refuelling area.
(21) Shovels, brushes and other equipment used for removing
fuel-soaked absorbent material after a fuel spill should be of
non-sparking material.
(22) Equipment from which fuel may leak or drip, such as pumps and
filters, should be fitted with drip trays; where such equipment is
located in enclosed spaces, drains should lead to an enclosed aviation
fuel sump tank, which is suitably vented through a flame-screened vent
pipe terminating in a safe location on the open deck at a height
prescribed in Ship Safety Branch regulations for fuels with a similar
flashpoint.
(23) Fuel tanks, piping and all attached components should be
securely bonded together by metal contact and grounded to prevent
electrostatic sparking; such bonding should include connection to the
helicopter during refuelling, but, during bunkering of a ship’s tanks,
electrical continuity between the ship and the shore should be broken by
means of an insulating flange or single length of non-conducting hose.
(24) When a funnel is used to fill a fuel tank, the funnel should be
securely bonded by metal contact to the tank and the hose nozzle.
(25) Aviation-fuel systems should comply with regulations respecting
the discharge overboard of harmful substances.
Aviation-Fuel Tanks ^
13 (1) Subject to subsection (17) aviation fuel should be stored in
hull structural, permanent non-hull structural or portable tanks
designed, constructed and secured in accordance with subsections 12(1)
and(2).
(2) Aviation fuel tanks should be located clear of ignition sources
and damage hazards and as far as practicable from accommodation spaces,
escape routes, embarkation stations, ventilation openings and Category A
machinery spaces;
(3) Aviation fuel in structural tanks should be protected from
contamination with other fluids, including sea water, by means of a
cofferdam.
(4) Aviation fuel tanks should be so constructed as to minimize
agitation of the liquid surface.
(5) Every pipe that, if damaged, would allow fuel to escape from a
fuel tank should be fitted on the tank with a valve capable of being
closed, as follows:
- in the case of tanks within the ship’s structure, from a
remote, safe and accessible location; and
- in the case of tanks located on an open deck, from an easily
accessible location.
(6) The open end of the fuel-tank filling pipe should be located at
the lower part of the tank; where the suction pipe is separate from the
filling pipe its open end should be at a height not lower than the open
end of the filling pipe so that in service conditions splash filling
will not occur.
(7) The open end section of a fuel-tank suction pipe on a ship
subject only to low amplitudes of oscillation, such as an offshore
structure, may be float-controlled within the tank with a sparkproof
mechanism and means to check the correctness of the float action.
(8) Where a filling pipe enters the top of the tank, the distance
between the open end of the pipe and the bottom of the tank should not
be greater than "2D" and not less than "D", where
"D" is the diameter of the pipe.
(9) For contaminant drainage, a drain pipe with a self closing valve,
should be fitted at the lowest part of the tank and lead to an
aviation-fuel sump tank.
(10) The coupling to be used for connecting the filling pipe of an
aviation-fuel tank at a bunkering station to the shore-side filling hose
should be so designed as to preclude inadvertent connection to pipes or
hoses carrying other fluids.
(11) Tank-sounding arrangements should be spark-proof, preferably of
the gastight hydraulic-pressure depth-gauge type, with an alarm set at
90% of the tank capacity and arranged to sound at the fuel-bunkering
station; where a sounding pipe is used, it should be fitted with a
gastight cap.
(12) Tank vents should be fitted with flame-screened pressure-vacuum
relief devices located in an area free from ignition sources,
contaminating dirt and water the relief devices:
- for portable and permanent tanks located on the open deck,
may be fitted directly to the tank, and
- for tanks located within the ship’s structure, should be
located on the open deck at a height prescribed in Ship Safety
Branch regulations for fuels with a similar flashpoint.
(13) Where a ship is to operate in low ambient temperatures, the
flame-screened pressure-vacuum devices should be protected from coating
and blockage by snow or freezing spray.
(14) Tank vent pipes should be so arranged as t-o be self-draining
when the ship is upright and on an even keel and also when trimming by
the stern.
(15) Subject to paragraph (16)(d), fuel-tank vent outlets should be
such that:
- the total cross-sectional area of the outlets is not less
than 1.25 x the cross-sectional area of the corresponding filling
lines; and
- fuel spillage is conducted to safe containment or disposal
locations.
(16) For those ships storing and dispensing Jet-B wide-cut type
aviation turbine fuel in accordance with subsection 12(8), the following
additional guidelines apply:
- fuel tanks should normally be located on the open deck, clear
of ignition sources and damage hazards and as far as practicable
from accommodation spaces, escape routes, embarkation stations,
ventilation openings and Category A machinery spaces;
- fuel tanks, other than hull structural tanks, should be
designed and constructed in accordance with requirements for a
Type-1 pressure tank as prescribed in the International Maritimes
Dangerous Goods Code except that permanent tanks need only have
closure valves in accordance with subsection 13(5);
- fuel tanks to be subjected to ambient temperatures below
-30°C should be designed, constructed and tested in compliance with
an approved Code for operations in such temperatures;
- flame-screened pressure-vacuum relief devices for fuel tanks
should have;
-
flow capacities as prescribed in the International
Maritimes Dangerous Goods Code or paragraph 13(15)(a)
whichever is the greater, and
-
vent openings not less than 3 m from any ignition source
- Cradles and framing for portable fuel tanks should be as
prescribed in the International Maritimes Dangerous Goods Code;
- fuel tanks located on the open deck should be installed in
receptacles such that, in the event of tank failure, the total fuel
content will be contained at a liquid level not less than 50 mm from
the top of the receptacle wall; such receptacles may be open-topped;
- firefighting foam should be readily available for spraying
the surface of any fuel leaked into the receptacle prescribed in
paragraph (f);
- receptacle design should be such that:
-
tank valves and other fittings are readily accessible for
maintenance and operation; and
-
external tank surfaces are accessible for inspection
- receptacle drainage facilities should be such that they
cannot be inadvertently left open;
- holding and disposing arrangements for contaminated or other
unacceptable fuel should be secure from ignition sources, damage
hazards and transference or leakage into or from other shipboard
areas and
- hull structural fuel tanks and independent fuel tanks not
intended for location on an open deck should be completely
surrounded by a gastight cofferdam or located in a gastight
compartment with the Board giving special consideration to the
design, construction, testing and installation of such tanks, in
particular;
-
maximum safe pressure strength attainable for hull
structural tanks, and the requirements of the International
Maritimes Dangerous Goods Code;
-
location and means of access,
-
practicability of maintaining a safe atmosphere in the
tank and associated systems,
-
assurance of safe fuel over-flow arrangements during
bunkering; and
-
safe venting and adequacy of capacity of the flame
screened pressure-vacuum relief device, in compliance with
either the International Maritimes Dangerous Goods Code or
paragraph 13(15)(a) which-ever is the most stringent.
(17) For emergencies, a ship with a helicopter deck but no fuel
storage facilities may store a maximum of 615 L of fuel, having a
minimum flashpoint of 38°C, in portable containers; such containers
should be stowed in a non-hazardous location.
Aviation-Fuel Pump Room and Tank Cofferdam or Compartment ^
14 (1) An aviation-fuel pump room may be located within a ship’s
structure or on the open deck; where the pump room is located on the
open deck, it may also contain the dispensing equipment prescribed in
subsection 15(1).
(2) An aviation-fuel pump room should be gastight, except for
approved ventilation, with entrance through a lockable gastight door or
hatch normally located on the open deck, except that for rooms in which
Jet B fuel is handled the entrance should be directly from the open
deck; in no case should the entrance be directly from Category A
machinery spaces or accommodation spaces.
(3) A ship should have:
- an approved portable breathing apparatus stowed in the
immediate vicinity of the fuel pump room; and
- an approved gas detector and alarm fitted in the fuel
pump room, with an indicator and alarm fitted immediately outside
the space, or
-
an approved portable gas detector available to ascertain
whether atmosphere of the fuel pump room is safe to enter.
(4) All electrical equipment, including portable items and their
outlets, should be certified safe and explosion proof.
(5) Pumps and filters and other components subject to periodic
opening should incorporate drainage arrangements such that fuel may be
safely drained to the aviation-fuel sump tank before any such opening.
(6) All power-driven pumps located in the fuel pump room should be
fitted with local controls and an emergency stop switch at a remote,
safe, accessible location, preferably adjacent to the helicopter deck
but not in the immediate vicinity of the fuel dispenser controls.
(7) A fuel pump room should be fitted with certified safe and
explosion-proof telephone equipment suitable for communication with both
the bridge and, where necessary, the helicopter deck.
(8) Pump-room ventilation should be independent of a ship’s other
ventilation systems, have the intake at a safe location where the risk
of drawing in sparks is low and the exhaust leading from the lowest part
of the pump room to a safe location on the open deck.
(9) Ventilation as prescribed in subsection (8):
- may, for pump rooms located on the open deck, be of natural
form; and
- should, for pump rooms located within a ship’s structure,
be of the mechanical-extraction form to provide at least 20 air
changes per hour, and maintain air at a lower pressure than that of
adjacent spaces except where such a space is the cofferdam of the
aviation-fuel tank.
(10) Pump-room drainage should be independent of a ship’s
bilge-pumping system, lead to the aviation-fuel sump tank and, where
necessary, be fitted with an emergency overboard connection.
(11) The following warning notice should be prominently displayed in
permanent lettering at the pump-room entrance:
Aviation Fuel Pump Room ^
-
No unauthorized persons allowed
No naked lights - No smoking
Check for safe atmosphere
(12) Subject to paragraph 13(16)(k) the cofferdam bulkheads for a
hull structural fuel tank within a ship’s structure should be gastight
with access only through an opening having a bolted cover.
(13) Subject to paragraph 13(16)(k) the compartment bulkheads for an
independent fuel tank within a ship’s structure should be gastight
with access only through a lockable self-closing gastight door or hatch
normally located on the open deck; in no case should the entrance be
directly from Category A machinery spaces or accommodation spaces.
(14) A fuel-tank cofferdam or compartment should normally be
sufficiently large to allow easy access to all parts.
(15) For fuel tank cofferdams or compartments, ventilation of the
mechanical-extraction form should be fitted to provide at least 8 air
changes per hour and maintain air at a lower pressure than that of
adjacent spaces except where such a space is the aviation-fuel pump
room.
(16) The ventilation prescribed in subsection (15) should be
independent of a ship’s other ventilation systems, have the air intake
at a safe location where the risk of drawing in sparks or gases is low
and the outlet at a safe location on the open deck.
(17) Drainage for the fuel-tank cofferdam or compartment should be
independent of a ship’s bilge-pumping system, lead to the
aviation-fuel sump tank and, where necessary, be fitted with an
emergency overboard connection.
Safety Notice ^
(18) The following warning notice should be prominently displayed in
permanent lettering on a fuel tank cofferdam access cover or compartment
door or hatch:
Aviation Fuel Tank Cofferdam (Compartment)
No unauthorized persons allowed
No naked lights - No smoking
Check for safe atmosphere
Aviation-Fuel Dispensing System
15 (1) An aviation-fuel dispenser should be located adjacent to the
helicopter deck and may be located within the pump room if the pump room
is on the open deck adjacent to the helicopter deck.
(2) If separate, a fuel dispenser should be lockable and prominently
display in permanent lettering a sign conveying the following warning:
Aviation Fuel Dispenser ^
No unauthorized operation
No naked lights - No smoking
(3) Fuel to be dispensed to a helicopter should conform to the fuel
specification approved by the helicopter manufacturer and the
helicopter-engine manufacturer.
(4) Before being loaded into the helicopter, fuel should be tested by
an approved water-detection apparatus in the presence of the helicopter
Pilot and the Pilot should certify in writing that the test results are
acceptable.
(5) Necessary filtering equipment for water and solid contaminants
should include "no-go" monitoring arrangements in the
dispensing system to ensure that substandard fuel is not loaded into the
helicopter.
(6) The officer most directly involved in helicopter fuelling
operations should;
- retain aboard the ship a record of fuel-filter inspections
and changes; and
- ensure that all fuel samples required for proof of fuel
quality are stored in a safe location until their quality assurance
purpose has been served.
(7) Where fuel in drums is retained aboard ship for emergencies, the
Helicopter Operations Officer should determine its suitability for use,
taking into account its "shelf-life", and in particular, the
decay of the properties of its anti-static additive.
(8) Securing arrangements for fuel drums should allow for quick
release in hazardous circumstances; the drums should be grounded to
prevent electrostatic sparking and such bonding should include
connection to the helicopter during refuelling.
(9) A fuel-dispensing system should include the following facilities
and arrangements:
- a clear and non-kinking lead from the dispenser to the
helicopter for the portable fuelling hose;
- safe controls for fuelling and defuelling the helicopter;
- a fuel quantity meter calibrated in litres;
- a fuel flow indicator;
- a test fitting for fuel sampling;
- stowage for the fuelling hose and nozzle with an approved
drip tray; and
- complete electrical bonding between the fuel-storage tank or
drum and the helicopter.
Helicopter Hangar and Workshop ^
16 (1) A helicopter hangar should be of metal construction with two
means of escape and may be either fixed or retractable.
(2) In a ship fitted with a hangar, provision should be made for
reasonable local passage from one side of the ship to the other without
the need to cross the helicopter deck.
(3) Retracting-hangar arrangements should include provisions, where
necessary for de-icing and snow-clearing of the hangar wheel tracks.
(4) Both the entrance door for the helicopter and the
retracting-hangar mechanism should be capable of being secured in both
open and closed positions.
(5) Recessed facilities for helicopter tie down should be provided on
the helicopter hangar deck; the strength of such facilities should be
sufficient to secure the design helicopter from the effects of ship
motions and, in retracting hangars, wind conditions.
(6) All permanently installed electrical equipment should be
certified safe and explosion-proof, including outlets for portable items
in helicopter hangars.
(7) Electrical-grounding devices for the removal and control of
electrostatic accumulations in helicopters should be provided in a
helicopter hangar.
(8) Portable electrical equipment not certified safe may be used in
helicopter hangars only when safe atmospheric conditions exist.
(9) An onboard helicopter workshop should be of metal construction
and separated from the hangar by a gastight bulkhead with a self-closing
gastight door.
(9) When helicopter servicing is to be carried out and risk of fire
may exist, a prominent sign in permanent lettering should convey the
following warning at all entrances to the hangar:
Helicopter Servicing Facility ^
No unauthorized persons allowed
No naked lights - No smoking
Check for safe atmosphere
PREVIOUS | TABLE OF
CONTENTS | NEXT
|
