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1st Session

No. 1155

EXTENDING TIME LIMIT FOR INSTALLATION OF SPRINKLER SYSTEMS ON PASSENGER VESSELS

JUNE 30, 1937.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. BLAND, from the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. J. Res. 434]

The Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, to whom was referred the joint resolution (H. J. Res. 434) to amend the act entitled "An act to amend section 4471 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, as amended", having had the same under consideration, report thereon without amendment and recommend that the joint resolution do pass.

The purpose of the joint resolution is to extend the time from July 1, 1937, to October 1, 1937, when every passenger vessel with berthed or stateroom accommodations for 50 or more passengers shall be equipped with an automatic-sprinkler system in addition to any other device or devices for fire protection, of a type prescribed by the Board of Supervising Inspectors and approved by the Secretary of Commerce.

The legislation amends Public, 712, Seventy-fourth Congress, approved June 20, 1936.

Due to various causes set out in the letter of the Acting Director of the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation, submitted below, there are 61 ships, with installations 50 percent completed, which could not operate after June 30, 1937. These delays would result in great hardship and are due in large part to causes which were unavoidable.

The committee is convinced that the relief sought should be granted. The letter of the assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Commerce,

together with the memorandum of the Acting Director of the Bureau. of Marine Inspection and Navigation, follows:

Hon. S. O. BLAND,

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE,
OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY,
Washington, June 30, 1937.

Chairman, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries,

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Attached is memorandum of June 30, 1937, from Capt. H. C. Shepheard, Acting Director of the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation, relating to the status of ships falling within the scope of Public, No. 712, Seventy-fourth Congress, concerning automatic sprinklers.

This memorandum is forwarded to you by direction of Colonel Johnson in accordance with your request of yesterday.

Yours very truly,

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To: Colonel Johnson, Assistant Secretary.
From: H. C. Shepheard, Acting Director.
Subject: Automatic sprinkler systems.

Public, 712, Seventy-fourth Congress, approved June 20, 1936, requires every passenger vessel with berthed or stateroom accommodation for 50 or more passengers to be equipped with an automatic sprinkler system on and after July 1, 1937, except those vessels that the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation specifically exempted.

A survey was conducted on passenger vessels by representatives of the Bureau to determine the type of construction. Their reports were submitted to the Bureau for analyzation and the vessels grouped according to their degree of fire hazard. Approximately 117 ships were required to fit automatic sprinkler systems. Their owners were notified as to the Bureau's requirements, through the local inspectors in the district in which the vessels operate, and were requested to submit to the local inspectors plans and specifications, in triplicate. When these plans have been received and approved by the Bureau, they are returned to the owners, who in turn advertise for bids.

There was considerable delay on the part of the manufacturers of sprinkler equipment due to their unfamiliarity with marine work. There was a slight indication of hesitancy on the part of the owners to go forward with this work due in part to the fact that Public, 712 was the fourth requirement in connection with automatic sprinkler systems issued within the course of a year. At the time of the enactment of Public, 712 there was under consideration by the Technical Committee on Safety at Sea, assisting the Senate Committee on Commerce, a draft of detailed regulations upon which legislation was to have been drafted, and since this included sprinkler systems there was some uncertainty in the minds of the shipowners as to what they eventually would have to do in this connection. Several months ago the Bureau became concerned in its failure to receive the plans and specifications required in the cases of individual ships and ships of certain companies. When, upon investigation, it was found that diligent efforts were not in evidence to comply with this law, the passenger certificates on those vessels were revoked and were not returned until the sprinkler systems were approximately 50 percent installed. Where operators refused to comply, those vessels were withdrawn from passenger service and such vessels will not operate again as passenger ships until the sprinkler systems are completely installed.

Unless the effective date is postponed this law will work an unjustifiable hardship upon operators who have, with all sincerity, endeavored to comply with it. It is estimated that 60 percent of the 61 ships so adversely affected would have had this installation completed as of July 1 except for recent labor troubles, namely the shipyard strike now entering its fourth week. There were many other disturbing factors in connection with ship operation which unquestionably tended to delay commencement of this work. For example, during the 4-month seamen's strike would have been a most advantageous time to have performed this work but the shipyard repair workers were also on strike. Economics require a shipowner

to arrange for such work at a time required by other laws, or regulations having the effect of law, to tie up.

Should an extension of time be granted, the Bureau will meet any lack of cooperation on the part of ship operators in their failure to complete this work as soon as is practicable prior to whatever date may be specified, by revocation of the passenger certificates on their ships.

The following shows the approximate progress of ships affected by Public, 712: Installations completed and tested____

Transferred from passenger service to cargo ships...
Installations 50 percent completed_---

Total number of ships affected____.

41

15

61

117

H. C. SHEPHEARD, Acting Director.

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 2a of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the changes proposed by the joint resolution to Public, 712, Seventy-fourth Congress, approved June 20, 1936, are set out as follows (existing law in which no change is proposed is printed in roman; existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets; and new matter proposed to be added is printed in italics):

[PUBLIC-No. 712-74тH CONGRESS]

That section 4471 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, as amended (U. S. C., title 46, sec. 464), be, and the same is hereby, amended by adding thereto the following new paragraph:

"On and after [July 1, 1937,] October 1, 1937, every passenger vessel with berthed or stateroom accomodation for fifty or more passengers shall be equipped with an automatic sprinkler system, which shall be in addition to any other device or devices for fire protection, of a type prescribed by the Board of Supervising Inspectors and approved by the Secretary of Commerce. All enclosed portions of such vessels accessible to passengers or crew (except cargo holds, machinery spaces, and, when of fire-resisting construction, toilets, bathrooms, and spaces of similar construction) shall be protected by an automatic sprinkler system: Provided, That if after investigation the Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection finds in the case of a particular vessel the application of this Act is unnecessary properly to protect life on such vessel, an exception may be made. The Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection shall cause to be made suitable tests and inspections as will insure the proper working of such systems. In carrying out the provisions of this paragraph the Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection is hereby authorized and directed to prescribe the particular approved type, character, and manner of installation of systems to be fitted. The term 'type' as herein used shall be considered to mean any system which will give a prescribed or required efficiency and shall not mean some peculiar shape or design and shall not be confined to some certain brand or make.”

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