§ 299.413 - Fire safety.

§ 299.413 Fire safety.

(a) General. All materials used in constructing the interior of the trainset shall meet the flammability and smoke emission characteristics and testing standards contained in appendix B to part 238 of this chapter. For purposes of this section, the interior of the trainset includes walls, floors, ceilings, seats, doors, windows, electrical conduits, air ducts, and any other internal equipment.

(b) Certification. The railroad shall require certification that a representative sample of combustible materials to be -

(1) Used in constructing a passenger car or a cab, or

(2) Introduced in a passenger car or a cab, as part of any kind of rebuild, refurbishment, or overhaul of the car or cab, has been tested by a recognized independent testing laboratory and that the results show the representative sample complies with the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section at the time it was tested.

(c) Fire safety analysis. The railroad shall ensure that fire safety considerations and features in the design of the trainsets reduce the risk of personal injury caused by fire to an acceptable level in its operating environment using a formal safety methodology. To this end, the railroad shall complete a written fire safety analysis for the passenger equipment being procured. In conducting the analysis, the railroad shall -

(1) Identify, analyze, and prioritize the fire hazards inherent in the design of the equipment.

(2) Take effective steps to design the equipment and select materials which help provide sufficient fire resistance to reasonably ensure adequate time to detect a fire and safely evacuate the passengers and crewmembers, if a fire cannot be prevented. Factors to consider include potential ignition sources; the type, quantity, and location of the materials; and availability of rapid and safe egress to the exterior of the equipment under conditions secure from fire, smoke, and other hazards.

(3) Reasonably ensure that a ventilation system in the equipment does not contribute to the lethality of a fire.

(4) Identify in writing any trainset component that is a risk of initiating fire and which requires overheat protection. An overheat detector shall be installed in any component when the analysis determines that an overheat detector is necessary.

(5) Identify in writing any unoccupied trainset compartment that contains equipment or material that poses a fire hazard, and analyze the benefit provided by including a fire or smoke detection system in each compartment so identified. A fire or smoke detector shall be installed in any unoccupied compartment when the analysis determines that such equipment is necessary to ensure sufficient time for the safe evacuation of passengers and crewmembers from the trainset. For purposes of this section, an unoccupied trainset compartment means any part of the equipment structure that is not normally occupied during operation of the trainset, including a closet, baggage compartment, food pantry, etc.

(6) Determine whether any occupied or unoccupied space requires a portable fire extinguisher and, if so, the proper type and size of the fire extinguisher for each location. As required by § 239.101 of this chapter, each passenger car is required to have a minimum of one portable fire extinguisher. If the analysis performed indicates that one or more additional portable fire extinguishers are needed, such shall be installed.

(7) Analyze the benefit provided by including a fixed, automatic fire-suppression system in any unoccupied trainset compartment that contains equipment or material that poses a fire hazard, and determine the proper type and size of the automatic fire-suppression system for each such location. A fixed, automatic fire-suppression system shall be installed in any unoccupied compartment when the analysis determines that such equipment is practical and necessary to ensure sufficient time for the safe evacuation of passengers and crewmembers from the trainset.

(8) Explain how safety issues are resolved in the design of the equipment and selection of materials to reduce the risk of each fire hazard.

(9) Describe the analysis and testing necessary to demonstrate that the fire protection approach taken in the design of the equipment and selection of materials meets the fire protection requirements of this part.

(d) Inspection, testing, and maintenance. The railroad shall develop and adopt written procedures for the inspection, testing, and maintenance of all fire safety systems and fire safety equipment on the passenger equipment it operates under § 299.445(b), and subpart G of this part. The railroad shall comply with those procedures that it designates as mandatory for the safety of the equipment and its occupants.