A fire on board a passenger ship can pose numerous risks. However, there are systems in place to minimize their likelihood and potential damage.
Mechanical failures, electrical issues, adverse weather conditions, and sudden health emergencies.
These are some of the potential problems that can arise while a ship is at sea.
And then there are fires.
When a fire breaks out on a cruise ship, it garners widespread attention and dominates news coverage, making it vital for large companies to prevent damage to their reputation.
Current situation of fires in the marine sector
According to data from Memorial University Sociology by Professor Ross Klein, an authority on maritime safety in the USA, there were 139 fires on cruise ships flying the US flag between 1990 and 2013, with 101 of those occurring since 2005, out of a total of 448 incidents (344 of which occurred since 2005).
Somewhat different figures come from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), whose data up to 2019 indicates that significant incidents, including fires, are rare compared to the total number of cruises conducted.
Between 2009 and 2019, CLIA reports fewer than 100 significant incidents (of various types) on over 100,000 cruises.
If, on the other hand, we turn to the European maritime situation, based on the "Annual Overview of Marine Casualties and Incidents 2023" report published on June 15, 2023 by EMSA, the European Maritime Safety Agency, we find that the total number of reported incidents was 23,814, with an average annual rate of 2,646.
The total number of ships involved was 12,502 merchant ships, 5,688 passenger ships, 4,559 fishing vessels, 2,557 service ships, and 802 other types of ships.
The annual average number of passenger ships involved in incidents is 632 (with 583 in 2022).
The total number of victims was 604, with 38 in 2022 (the lowest absolute value for the entire period considered).
Casualties on cruise ships alone totaled 57 (including 41 deaths due to fires or explosions), with 32 of these being passengers. There were also 727 passengers injured (82 of which were related to fires or explosions).
Going into more detail, the EMSA report reveals that from 2014 to 2021, out of the total incidents, those related to fires and/or explosions on board amounted to 1,069, with an average of more than 130 events per year.
The work on safety is constant and intense, but it is reassuring that the overall trend is declining, especially in recent years.
This decrease certainly underscores the effectiveness of some new prevention and fire protection systems introduced on ships, with increasingly modern technology, in addition to the training of onboard personnel responsible for emergency management.
All this confirms that thanks to advanced prevention and response measures, the risk can be effectively managed.
It is also important to remember that modern cruise ships, in addition to adopting fire-resistant and/or fireproof materials, are equipped with advanced fire detection and suppression systems, such as sprinklers, water mist, Inergen, CO2, and more.
Ships are also equipped with passive fire protection systems, such as fire doors and fire dampers, which are ideal for proper emergency management.
In conclusion, we can assert that the outlook for onboard safety looks promising and is geared toward improvement.
Constant commitment will certainly yield good results.