Requirement for watertight integrity
The size, location and design of the sonar room must fulfil all the requirements to the vessel’s watertight integrity.
In the event of a major leak in the sonar room, it must be possible to close all watertight hatches and/or doors to the sonar room to maintain the vessel stability and safety.
The physical size of the sonar room must be limited, so that in the event of a major leak, the flooding of the sonar room will not induce instability, or cause the vessel to capsize or sink.
Ensure that all watertight decks and bulkheads are inspected periodically to verify that there are no unprotected openings or improper penetrations that will allow progressive flooding from the sonar room, and that the watertight doors and hatches are in place and in working order.
Ensure bilge high level alarms are arranged to provide the earliest warnings of abnormal accumulation. The high level bilge alarms must be set as low as possible to the deck or bilge well and positioned along the centre area of the compartment or in a location at which the fluids will gravitate to first.
All cables leading in and out of the sonar room must be run in steel conduits. These steel conduits must reach up and above the freeboard deck.