Boat Safety Scheme - fire blanket
part 6 – fire prevention & extinguishing equipment
please select a sub-section here:
The BSS Guide
Introduction
Inboard engines
Electritcal installations
Electrically propelled vessels
Outboard and portable engines
Fire prevention and extinguishers
LPG installations
Appliances, flueing and ventilation
Pollution
Hire boats and safety features
Appendices

In boats with cooking facilities a fire blanket must be kept nearby, ready for
immediate use, so that any pan fire can be dealt with swiftly and prevented
from spreading. A fire blanket can also aid escape by shielding you or
somebody else from the fire.

In order for the fire blanket to be effective it needs to have been made to a
relevant manufacturing Standard. As a minimum the blanket must be marked
as complying with the 'light duty' requirement of BS 6575, or, more recently,
BS EN 1869. Blankets manufactured before the earlier Standard was
introduced, in 1985, may well have deteriorated and now be ineffective in
dealing with a fire. [6.3]

informationMake sure the fire blanket can be easily reached if there's a fire on the cooker. We often find blankets mounted by the side or at the back of the cooker, or in cupboards or drawers, making it dangerous to reach in the event of a cooker fire. It needs to be accessible at all times, in a safe and prominent place. Don't forget, it's also a good idea to make sure that anyone unfamiliar with the layout of your boat is made aware of where to find fire blankets, extinguishers and escape routes. [6.3]


fixed system
exposed glass-fibre reinforced plastic (GRP)