Benefits Of Adding a Fire Retardant Treatment to Your Superyacht

When you own a yacht, there are a whole host of rules and regulations that need to be followed, including fire prevention, fire extinguishing, fire detection, and escape routes. 

At Inter-Nett Monaco, we pride ourselves on adding fire retardant treatments aboard yachts to the highest standard possible, using our years of industry experience to offer our clients the very best service. We have been working with superyacht owners for many years, ensuring their vessels are treated for flame retardancy in accordance with MGN 580 (M) and providing expert advice regarding fire retardants.

In this article, we are going to guide you through some key points regarding flame retardant treatments as a form of fire prevention on yachts to ensure you are getting the right service.

Why applying fire retardant is important.

A fire aboard a yacht can have devastating consequences and, unfortunately, there have been many examples of this over the years. Applying fire retardant is an effective way to help prevent the rapid spread of fire on board a yacht. 

Fire retardant treatments add an extra layer of safety to soft furnishings such as curtains, cushions, and yacht upholstery on board to help increase the fire resistance of these combustible materials. This not only reduces the risk of a fire starting but also limits its propagation, which gives passengers more time to vacate the vessel, therefore potentially saving lives.  

Furthermore, in the event of a fire, no power source is required for the product to work and once applied the fire retardant treatment is effective whether or not the yacht is manned.

Due to some high-profile yacht fires, insurance companies have also been taking note and are adjusting their policies in response. Should an incident occur onboard involving a fire, it will be very difficult to claim if you do not have the correct certification in place (remember both insurers and Flag expect certificates to run concurrently with no gaps even when in the yard) and also if you have not followed the current regulations and have fire retardant professionally applied by a company that holds suitable certification.

The fire retardant product we use at Inter-Nett Monaco.

Firstly, let us take you through a couple of key organisations that impact the fire retardant we use and have a strong influence on the rules and regulations.

• International Maritime Organisation (IMO) – The IMO is an agency under the United Nations that acts as the regulatory body of the yachting industry. They deal in marine pollution, shipping security, and fire safety standards across all vessels.
• Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) – The MCA implements the government’s maritime safety policy in the UK and works to prevent the loss of life on the coast and at sea. The latest MGN 580 (M) published by the MCA is also enforced by all Red Ensign Group Flag members or REG.

The fire retardant we use at Inter-Nett Monaco is “Emalfon I” from Flame Screen Ltd. It is approved for large yachts in accordance with MCA Marine Guidance Note MGN 580 (M) by BTTG Notified Body No: 0338 Testing & Certification Ltd Certificate No: E-007272. 

Flame Screen Ltd is a specialist marine company that provides Maritime Coastguard Agency MGN 580 (M) and Large Commercial Yacht Code-compliant flame retardant options within the superyacht industry. It offers some of the world’s most advanced range of liquid flame retardant technologies including “Emalfon I” After working with Flame Screen Ltd for over 13 years, their audit-controlled procedures and  process has become our preferred choice, as they cover marine legislative requirements and compliance required in respect of flame retardancy.

Applying fire retardant – What you need to know.

It’s important to have fire retardant applied correctly and by trained professionals who have experience with these types of products. Poorly applied fire retardant can look unsightly and, in some cases, can cause irreversible damage to yacht upholstery. At Inter-Nett Monaco, we have seen countless examples of badly applied flame retardants and, while sometimes the effects are not noticeable right away, they begin to appear over time.

More important, though, is the fact that poorly applied fire retardant will not be as effective in offering protection to the yacht upholstery and fabrics on your vessel. Enlisting an expert team who can add fire retardant treatments to your yacht will ultimately give you peace of mind. You can be safe in the knowledge that your vessel now has an extra layer of protection that has been applied correctly. 

In addition, knowing when to re-apply flame retardant treatments is also an essential factor. Over time and with busy cleaning schedules, retardancy levels naturally reduce.  That’s why MGN 580 (M) legislation recommends regular applications every 12 months. 

An easy solution for Inter-Nett Monaco clients

At Inter-Nett Monaco, we aim to provide our fire retardant treatments and cleaning services with minimal disruption for our clients. This means we travel to the yacht’s location and quickly and efficiently apply the fire retardant. We don’t require anything other than access to the vessel, there’s no need for the removal of furniture or long periods of absence. 

In essence, the choice to have fire retardant applied is a very simple decision to make. Considering the small amount of inconvenience and the relatively low cost of hiring an expert team in comparison to the price of the vessel, it’s an extremely worthwhile investment. 

We hope this article has provided you with some key information regarding fire retardant treatments and why your vessel will benefit from the services of an accredited team of professionals. The value of flame retardancy runs much higher than just following regulations and peace of mind, it has the potential to save lives. Hence the reason many yacht owners go beyond legislation and opt for fire retardant treatments is whether or not they are obliged to do so.

If you would like more information on MGN 580 (M), fire retardant application, or any of the other services we provide at Inter-Nett Monaco, contact us today. A member of our expert team will be more than happy to help arrange a quote.