Marine Fire Inspection: Port Safety Checklist on Arrival

Fires don’t wait. Neither should your protocol.

When a vessel arrives at port, fire safety services and marine fire inspection procedures become the first critical step before any operation begins.

A rigorous port safety checklist ensures full vessel safety compliance under SOLAS and ISM standards, reducing downtime, mitigating risk, and protecting your crew, assets, and port infrastructure.

This is where a structured, technical fire-readiness assessment makes all the difference.

Here is what a compliant, technically sound inspection should confirm before any repair activity, cargo operation, or tank entry is authorized:

1. Fire main integrity check

Confirm adequate pressure, flow, and valve operability across the entire loop. 

Dead-end segments, seized isolation valves, or calcium buildup in strainers are recurrent failure points. A drop-test under load is strongly recommended.

2. Assessment of fixed firefighting systems

CO₂, foam, and dry-chemical systems must be verified for correct cylinder weight, manifold tightness, release-mechanism integrity, and absence of corrosion at nozzles. 

Many ports now require photographic documentation to validate compliance.

3. Portable equipment verification

Inspect extinguishers for charge, corrosion, broken seals, and expiration. 

Ensure distribution complies with SOLAS II-2/10 and that all crew understand zone assignments.

4. Hot-work control & permit validation

Upon arrival, any planned steelwork, cutting, or internal tank operations require a port-approved hot-work permit. 

Ventilation rates, atmospheric readings (O₂, LEL, H₂S), and fire watch assignments must be documented before authorization.

5. Internal tank lighting safety

All lighting inside tanks or enclosed spaces must be intrinsically safe and ignition-protected. No exceptions. Cable routing, transformer condition, and overload protection must be confirmed before energizing circuits.

6. Saltwater fire supply system connection

When receiving shore-supplied saltwater fire services, verify coupling compatibility, hydrant pressure, backflow prevention, and redundancy availability. 

This connection is a critical fail-safe during machinery shut-downs or generator maintenance.

7. Emergency response drill readiness

Port inspectors increasingly ask for functional demonstrations,  pump kick-off sequence, station manning, communication checks, and boundary-cooling procedures. 

Crews must be ready to execute without delay.

A vessel that arrives with its fire-safety protocol in order minimizes downtime, reduces repair risks, and accelerates operational approval. 

At Navalta, our marine inspection teams ensure your vessel meets every requirement with technical rigor, so your stay at port is efficient, compliant, and safe.

Marine Fire Inspection: Port Safety Checklist on Arrival