Replacement of a B-15 Cabin Door on an Escape Corridor
While the vessel is alongside, the master reports that the B-15 hinged door to cabin 2-14 on A deck has failed: the leaf is delaminated at the lock stile and the overhead self-closer was removed at a previous refit. The ship's carpenter has a spare flush door blank of the same nominal size, 1,980 by 760 mm, taken from a stores locker, and proposes to hang it on the existing frame during the two-day port stay. To make it fit he will plane 15 mm off the bottom edge to clear new carpet, reuse the existing mortice lock and hinges, fit a brass hook-and-eye to hold the door open against the corridor bulkhead during cleaning, and paint both faces and all edges to match the accommodation. The door is the only separation between the cabin and a corridor that is a primary escape route for 22 crew cabins. The classification surveyor is due in four days and the vessel sails in three.
1. Evaluate the carpenter's proposal against SOLAS fire integrity requirements. Identify each element you would reject and explain why.
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- The door leaf itself is the first rejection. A B-15 door is not a generic solid door; it is an approved assembly tested as a complete set of leaf, frame, seals and hardware under the FTP Code. A blank salvaged from a stores locker has no test evidence, no nameplate and no certification traceable to that opening. It cannot be accepted as a B-15 leaf.
- Planing 15 mm off the bottom is not a fitting detail, it is a change to the tested design. The undercut, edge construction and any intumescent or smoke seal are part of the certification. Removing material can expose the core and increase the gap through which smoke and hot gases pass. Reject unless the door manufacturer confirms in writing that the finished undercut remains within the tested configuration.
- Reusing an untested mortice lock and hinges introduces new cut-outs and hardware not covered by the test. A fire door's latch, hinges and closer must be those specified for the tested assembly.
- The hook-and-eye must be rejected outright. A door in a B-class division must be self-closing. Hold-open devices are acceptable only if they release automatically on fire alarm or smoke detection; a manual hook defeats the entire principle and is a classic port state control finding. The missing self-closer must be restored and adjusted.
- Painting is acceptable only if seals, labels and certification plates are not painted over and the leaf is not so heavily coated that it will not close and latch.
2. State what evidence you would require before a replacement door is hung, and the checks you would make after installation before signing it off.
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Before installation:
- Obtain the approved fire plan or door schedule for that opening to confirm the required rating and that the frame is also part of the approved assembly.
- Obtain the door certificate and test report, check the nameplate on the leaf matches the certificate, and confirm the leaf size is within the tested range.
- Confirm the specified closer, hinges, lock, seals and threshold detail are supplied with the door, and that the frame is undamaged and surveyor-acceptable.
After installation:
- Check the leaf sits squarely in the frame with even gaps, seals make contact and the door latches from the open position.
- Test the self-closer: release the door from part-open and from a near-closed position and confirm it closes and latches without assistance, against normal ship list and friction.
- Confirm no hold-open hook, wedge or temporary restraint is fitted, and that the door does not obstruct the escape route when open.
- Check the undercut clears the carpet without exceeding the approved dimension, the certification plate is legible, and the door is identified on the fire plan.
- Record the replacement, certificate number and test result in the planned maintenance system, and present the evidence to the classification surveyor.
3. If the correct certified door cannot be obtained before sailing, what interim arrangement would you accept, and what would you record?
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I would not accept the salvaged blank with a hook-and-eye as a temporary equivalent, because it converts a certified boundary into an untested one and would be difficult to defend after an incident.
An acceptable interim arrangement would be:
- Repair the existing leaf if the manufacturer or an approved repair method allows re-laminating the lock stile, and refit the correct self-closer and hardware.
- If the leaf is beyond repair, keep the cabin out of use, secure the opening closed, and seek written agreement from the classification society and flag for a temporary arrangement before sailing. A non-combustible blank fitted with the correct closer and seals may be accepted as a temporary measure, but it is not automatically a B-15 equivalent.
- Maintain a fire patrol of the corridor and brief the crew on the condition.
Records should include: the defect report, the temporary arrangement, class/flag correspondence and acceptance, the cabin's out-of-service status, the fire patrol log, and a dated deadline for fitting the certified door. The fire plan and defect list should be updated so the next crew and the surveyor can see the condition immediately.