BC Ferries to ban passengers from closed car decks during sailings

[bigdogeh]

Nice. You guys deserve alot of respect. It's a tough, dangerous, physically and mentally demanding job...

 

[ziggy]

Took shipboard firefighting for 35 plus years and the first step was always crash ventilation, establish boundaries and confine the fire. Then attack.

 

[Prairie Locked]

I don't think they would be opening doors to feed a small fire a rich supply of oxygen. More likely to seal the deck and send the fire crew in with Scott packs or depending on the space flood it with C02 to starve it of oxygen. Smoke won't sink the ship an out of control fire will.

You're not going to feed it a rich supply of oxygen by any means. The car decks have huge volumes of air and the combustion won't make it oxygen deficient unless it's a huge fire of half the floor space. There is enough passive ventilation and air exchange that goes on on the ship.

By allowing passive horizontal ventilation, you not only prevent an accumulation of heat you also prevent an accumulation of toxic gasses and non-combusted byproducts (black smoke). By venting this from an enclosed space, you prevent the ability of a flashover from occurring and also prevent the backdraft that was mentioned.

The heat and smoke would have a difficult time of fully involving one of these ships, the volume of the compartment is huge. This is easily mitigated by opening the doors 6". This isn't 'ship board' firefighting where it's below deck and you can compartmentalize an involved area. It is essentially structural firefighting. Don't take my word for it, it's rooted in fire science and fire behavior from places like U.L and NIST. Modern firefighting practices that are evidence based. IMHO

 

[Bret]

Keep in mind the Queen of the North which sank and took two people down. The Northern routes have had the no sleeping on the car deck in place for ever.

 

[wolf]

Seriously what are they going to do if your having a nap in your truck? KICK YOU OFF THE FERRY??
arrest you? im sure all the long haul truckers are going to say.....oh wait cant write that...lol

 

[Clint r]

Copied from castanets news service:

A controversial plan that would have denied BC Ferries passengers access to the car decks has been put on hold.

The company said in December it planned to ban passengers from closed decks when the vessels are in motion for safety reasons.

Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Marshall said Monday the company continues to work with Transport Canada "to resolve outstanding details."

The initial proposal met a negative response from passengers, many of whom said they like to sleep in their car on sailings.

She also confirmed BC Ferries is working on a plan to phase out all smoking on vessels.

- with files from CTV Vancouver Island

 

[Birdsnest]

Thanks clint. I really had no idea where I was going to find my upper deck ferry outfit. Good news for me and all those on the upper decks.

 

[Fixit]

Thanks clint. I really had no idea where I was going to find my upper deck ferry outfit. Good news for me and all those on the upper decks.
View attachment 31223

"You guys probably don't want me on deck"