Laws and Safety Equipment

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FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

Coast Guard approved fire extinguishers are required on boats where a fire hazard could be expected from the motors or the fuel system. Fire extinguishers are classified by a letter (B or C) and a Roman numeral symbol (I, II or III). The letter indicates the type fire the unit is designed to extinguish: Classification Designed to extinguish Type A Combustible solids such as wood and paper Type B Flammable liquids such as gasoline, oil and grease fires Type C Electrical fires. The number (I, II, III) indicates the relative size of the extinguisher. The higher the number, the larger the extinguisher.

US Coast Guard approved extinguishers required for boats are hand portable, either B-I or B-II classification and have a specific marine type mounting bracket.

• All hand-portable fire extinguishers, semi-portable fire extinguishing systems, and fixed fire extinguishing systems must be US Coast Guard-approved and must have an efficient charge.
• Fire extinguishers must be readily accessible, away from the areas where a fire could likely start such as the galley or the engine compartment.

Fire extinguisher markings can be confusing because extinguishers can be approved for several different types of hazards. For instance, an extinguisher marked "Type A, Size II, Type B:C, Size I" is a B-I extinguisher. Look for the part of the label that says "Marine Type USCG " and that Type B is indicated (most off-the-shelf extinguisher are USCG-approved).

Fire Extinguishers are required when...

• Inboard engines are installed.
• There are closed compartments and compartments under seats where portable fuel tanks may be stored.
• There are double bottoms not sealed to the hull or which are not completely filled with flotation materials.
• There are closed living spaces.
• There are closed stowage compartments in which combustible or flammable materials are stored.
• There are permanently installed fuel tanks.

Fire Extinguisher Maintenance

Inspect extinguishers monthly to make sure that:

• Seals and tamper indicators are not broken or missing.
• Pressure gauges or indicators read in the operable range. (Note: CO2 extinguishers do not have gauges.)
• There is no obvious physical damage, rust, corrosion, leakage or clogged nozzles.
• For fire extinguishers without pressure gauges, weigh annually to ensure that the minimum weight is as stated on the extinguisher label.
• The pressure gauge alone is not an accurate indicator that Halon extinguishers are full. The weight of the units should be checked regularly.

Required Number of Fire Extinguishers

The number of fire extinguishers required on a recreational boat is based on the overall length of the boat. The following chart lists the number of extinguishers that are required. In the case where a Coast Guard-approved fire extinguishing system is installed, the required number of hand-held extinguishers may be reduced by one.