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Marine Machinery Regulations (SOR/90-264)

Regulations are current to 2024-10-30 and last amended on 2023-12-20. Previous Versions

SCHEDULE XIIILiquefied Petroleum Gas Fuel Systems

PART I(Section 4)Design Specifications

DIVISION IApplication

ItemDescription of Appliances
1This Schedule applies to the following galley and cabin-heating appliances aboard non-passenger ships:

  • (a) domestic gas fuel burning ranges;

  • (b) domestic gas fuel refrigerators;

  • (c) gas fuel space-heaters; and

  • (d) gas fuel water-heaters.

DIVISION IISpecifications

ItemRequirements
1Gas fuel shall have a distinctive odour to indicate the presence of gas down to a concentration of 20 per cent of the lower explosive limit of the gas in the air.
2No liquefied petroleum gas fuel system of a type other than the vapour withdrawal type shall be installed or used in a ship.
3Gas fuel cylinders and regulating and safety devices shall be securely fastened and so located that escaping vapour cannot reach bilges, machinery spaces, accommodation or other enclosed spaces.
4Location of gas fuel cylinders, regulation arrangements and relief valve outlets shall be located only on open decks, on cabin tops, outside cockpits or inside housings that are gas-tight to the hull interior.
5Appliances shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and shall be securely fastened.
6Appliances shall be connected in a manner that prevents undue strain on the piping.
7Only liquefied petroleum gas fuel cylinders that meet the requirements of the Transport of Dangerous Goods Directorate of the Department of Transport or the Interstate Commerce Commission of the United States shall be used.
8Liquefied petroleum gas fuel system components and piping shall have a design working pressure of not less than 1 725 kPa.
Piping Systems
9Gas fuel piping shall

  • (a) be adequately flexible and protected from damage;

  • (b) have a minimum of piping in enclosed spaces;

  • (c) be exposed to sight as far as practicable;

  • (d) be supported by hangers that will not cause damage or corrosion and that are spaced at intervals not exceeding 120 times the outside diameter of the pipe; and

  • (e) have non-abrasive covering for protection where they pass through decks or bulkheads.

10Gas fuel piping shall not be used as part of any electrical circuit or grounding system.
11Gas fuel piping shall not be used as support or restraint for any item or fitting that is not part of the gas system.
12Any valves, regulators or other fittings exceeding 0.5 kg mass per 6 mm of pipe outside diameter shall have their mass supported by means other than the gas piping.
13Gas fuel piping shall be of a sufficient diameter to provide a sufficient supply of gas fuel to meet demand pressures at the point of use and the pressure drop between the regulator and the appliance shall not exceed 10 per cent.
14High-pressure liquefied petroleum gas fuel piping between the gas storage cylinders and the regulators shall have a minimum wall thickness of 1.24 mm and the low-pressure gas fuel piping between the regulators and the gas-burning appliances shall have a minimum wall thickness of 0.81 mm.
15Liquefied petroleum gas fuel piping shall

  • (a) be of seamless steel or copper;

  • (b) have welded, brazed, threaded or flared connections;

  • (c) where brazed connections are used, have brazing metal with a melting point in excess of 540°C; and

  • (d) where carbon steel is used, be painted on its exterior surfaces to prevent corrosion.

16Short reinforced flexible hoses and couplings used to connect the gas fuel piping system to a cylinder or gimballed appliance shall be of a type referred to in item 24.
17Short reinforced flexible hoses shall be of the minimum practicable length but not longer than 1 m and shall not extend from one cabin to another or pass through any bulkheads, partitions, deck heads or decks.
Gas Storage Cylinders
18No gas fuel storage cylinder that permits gas in liquid form to enter any other part of the gas system shall be used.
19Each liquefied petroleum gas fuel storage cylinder shall have a manually operated screw-down shut-off valve mounted directly on the cylinder outlet.
20The manually operated screw-down shut-off valve shall be fitted with a spring-loaded safety device and with a fusible plug designed to yield when the cylinder has been emptied of liquefied petroleum gas by the relief valve under exposure to excessive heat.
21The shut-off valve, the spring-loaded safety device and the fusible plug referred to in item 20 shall each have direct communication with the vapour space of a gas fuel storage cylinder.
22A multiple-cylinder gas fuel system shall be fitted with a manually operated two-way positive shut-off manifold valve so arranged that the replacement of empty cylinders may be made without shutting down the flow of gas in the gas fuel system.
23No electrical connections shall be made within a gas fuel storage cylinder enclosure.
Gas Fuel Components and Appliances
24Except for the gas fuel storage cylinders, only gas fuel components and appliances that meet the requirements of the Canadian Gas Association, the Compressed Gas Association, the Underwriters’ Laboratories of Canada or the Underwriters’ Laboratories Incorporated shall be used.
25All valves and regulators embodied in the gas fuel system for the purpose of pressure relief, regulation or control of gas pressure and flow rates shall be securely mounted in a position readily accessible for operation, inspection, maintenance and testing, and shall be protected against physical damage.
26The gas fuel system shall be fitted with a regulating device adjusted to release gas to the consuming appliance at a pressure not in excess of 4.5 kPa.
27The low-pressure side of all regulators in the gas fuel system shall be protected against excessive pressure by means of a suitable relief valve that is fitted to the regulator and set to discharge at a pressure of not less than twice, and not more than three times, the delivery pressure.
28All regulators in the gas fuel system shall be fitted with a pressure gauge located on the high-pressure side of the regulator.
29A master packless shut-off valve controlling all burners simultaneously shall be installed on the console of each gas-burning appliance.
30All appliances incorporating pilot-lights or other continuous-burning flame devices shall incorporate a flame failure device arranged to shut off the main and pilot gas in the event of flame failure.
31Installation clearances between appliances and adjacent combustible material shall not be less than the clearances specified in the manufacturer’s instructions.
32The piping and components in the gas fuel system shall be located so that gas leakage tests may be carried out at prescribed intervals as follows:

  • (a) note the pressure on the gauge when the appliance burner valves are shut and the packless shut-off valve and one cylinder valve are open;

  • (b) note if the pressure on the gauge remains constant for at least 10 minutes when the cylinder valve is closed;

  • (c) if the pressure on the gauge drops before the expiration of 10 minutes, locate the leakage by applying liquid detergent or soap water solution to all connections of the gas fuel system but do not use flame to test for leaks; and

  • (d) repeat subitems (a), (b) and (c) for each cylinder in a multi-cylinder gas fuel system.

Systems Installation for Ships Exceeding 24 m in Length
33Gas fuel storage cylinders and pressure-regulating and relief arrangements shall be

  • (a) installed in a sturdily constructed metal enclosure with ventilation openings at both the top and the bottom of the enclosure;

  • (b) protected from damage, direct rays of the sun and heat; and

  • (c) located on or above the weather deck level and outside the superstructure, with access only from the open deck.

34Spare and empty gas fuel cylinders shall have valve outlets that are capped and may be stored within the metal enclosure or may be secured on the open deck in a location that is protected from damage, direct rays of the sun and heat by a suitable cover, and the enclosure or cover shall be ventilated to prevent the accumulation of gas.
35The metal enclosure shall be designed to be closed at all times except when access is required to change cylinders in the gas system or to maintain equipment, and only the following items shall be stored in the enclosure:

  • (a) liquefied petroleum gas fuel storage cylinders and permanently secured system components; and

  • (b) secured valve-protecting caps for cylinders that are in use.

36Gas fuel storage cylinder pressure-relief valves shall be vented away from the cylinders and, as far as practicable, upwards to prevent impingement of escaping gas onto the cylinders.
37Gas fuel safety device vent outlets shall end at least 1.5 m from enclosed space openings and ventilation intakes.
38Compartments containing liquefied petroleum gas-burning appliances that are located above the weather deck shall be ventilated by

  • (a) at least two natural air ventilator ducts each of which is at least 75 mm in diameter, one leading to and the other leading from the open deck and the extraction duct shall extend from within 15 cm of the deck of the compartment and the inlet duct shall extend to within 15 cm of the deckhead of the compartment; or

  • (b) mechanical ventilation arranged in a manner similar to that described in subitem (a) except that the duct size shall be determined on the basis of at least 10 air changes per hour within the compartment and the fan and its motor, if not spark-proof, shall not be located in the compartment or the extraction duct.

39Compartments that contain liquefied petroleum gas-burning appliances or in which gas may accumulate and that are located entirely below the weather deck shall be ventilated by mechanical ventilation of the positive extraction type with a spark-proof fan and motor having sufficient capacity to effect at least 10 air changes per hour through ventilators leading to and from the open deck and the extraction duct of the ventilator shall extend from the deck level and the inlet duct of the ventilator shall extend to the deckhead of the compartment.
Systems Installation for Ships not Exceeding 24 m in Length
40Gas fuel storage cylinders and pressure-regulating and relief arrangements shall be

  • (a) protected from damage, direct rays of the sun and heat; and

  • (b) located on or above the weather deck level, outside the superstructure, with access only from the open deck.

41Gas fuel storage cylinder pressure-relief valves shall be vented away from the cylinders, and, as far as practicable, upwards to prevent impingement of escaping gas onto the cylinders.
42Gas fuel safety device vent outlets from safety devices shall end as far as practicable from enclosed space openings and ventilation intakes.
43Spare and empty gas fuel cylinders shall have capped valve outlets, and shall be secured on the open deck and protected from damage, direct rays of the sun and heat.
44Compartments that contain gas-burning appliances or in which gas may accumulate shall be efficiently ventilated so that inside air is exhausted through a vent opening located at the lowest part of the compartments.
Safety Notices for All Ships
45Printed manufacturer’s instructions for the proper installation, maintenance and operation of each gas-burning appliance shall be permanently mounted in a readily visible location adjacent to the appliance.
46The gas fuel cylinder storage location shall prominently display the following warning and operating instructions:

“WARNING

LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS FUEL

NO OPEN FLAME

NO SMOKING

BEFORE TURNING ON GAS FUEL READ OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS BELOW

KEEP CYLINDER VALVES CLOSED WHEN CYLINDER EMPTY OR SHIP IS UNATTENDED

BE SURE ALL APPLIANCE VALVES ARE CLOSED BEFORE OPENING THE CYLINDER VALVES

CLOSE APPLIANCE VALVES WHEN APPLIANCE IS NOT IN USE

TEST SYSTEM FOR LEAKAGE AT LEAST TWICE A MONTH

CONSUMER OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

  • 1 Read and observe the appliance manufacturer’s instructions.

  • 2 Never use a gas fuel appliance without ventilation.

  • 3 Do not use the cooking appliance for space-heating.

  • 4 To remove an empty cylinder:

    • (a) close cylinder valve and burn out the gas fuel in the line by lighting all appliance burners;

    • (b) when the gas stops burning, close the appliance valves; and

    • (c) disconnect the empty cylinder, leaving the cylinder valve closed.

  • 5 To install a full cylinder:

    • (a) check that all appliance valves are in the closed position;

    • (b) secure the cylinder to mounting and the outlet of the cylinder valve to the gas fuel system;

    • (c) open the cylinder valve and test cylinder and regulator connections for leaks with a soap and water solution or another leak detection device, but never use a naked flame for testing; and

    • (d) one at a time, open the appliance valves and light the burners and allow for a sufficient length of time to ensure that there is no air in the lines to interrupt gas fuel flow.”

47The following warning and safety instructions shall be prominently posted in spaces where gas fuel appliances are located:

“WARNING

ENSURE THAT FRESH AIR VENTILATION SYSTEM IS IN OPERATION WHEN USING FUEL-BURNING APPLIANCE

  • 1 If leakage of gas fuel is suspected or detected, the following actions must be taken immediately:

    • (a) shut off the supply of gas by closing the main cylinder valve or valves;

    • (b) extinguish all naked flames and other sources of ignition, including heaters, cookers, pilot lights and cigarettes;

    • (c) do not operate electric switches or cause electric sparks;

    • (d) advise the Master or engineer;

    • (e) ventilate by creating a through draught to disperse the gas as liquefied petroleum gas is heavier than air and will tend to settle;

    • (f) if possible evacuate the area because a leak with no fire may form an explosive mixture; and

    • (g) remove all cylinders from the vessel if leakage cannot be stopped.

  • 2 If any soot accumulates on pans or parts of the appliance or any unusual odours occur, the appliance should not be used until it is repaired as the appliance may be producing a deadly gas.”

PARTS II to IV[Repealed, SOR/2021-135, s. 81]

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