Published on: 15 June 2023
The MCA has Published MGN 681 (M) fire safety and storage of small electric powered craft on yachts.
The guidance contained in this MGN is intended to outline best practices related to design, equipment and outfit of dedicated spaces onboard, and to increase safety for handling, charging and stowage of Li-ion batteries and craft with these in-built.
The guidance is explicitly for Li-ion batteries. Batteries with alternative chemistries may present a different risk profile during charging or stowage. Additional measures for such battery types may need to be provided depending on the specific characteristics of the batteries used and a full risk assessment should be conducted and agreed with the administration or class society before they are carried or charged on board.
This guidance should be applied where there are no requirements from class and should be used to inform the risk assessment and mitigations of the ships safety management system when carrying Li-ion powered small water craft and any spare batteries associated with them.
The MGN covers the following aspects:
- Li-ion Batteries fire risk overview
- Storage and charging
- Battery Management Systems (BMS)
- Fire Detection and Alarm
- Fire Suppression
- Crew Training
It should be noted that the REG is currently looking at aligning/incorporating MGN 681 into the large yacht code amendments with further meetings being held at the end of this month.
MGN 681 can be downloaded here.