Gulf Wide Safety Systems, LLC - Marine AFFF System

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Marine AFFF System

Gulf Wide Safety Systems, LLC is presently the only company in the world that has an American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) Type Approval for our fire fighting foam tank/bladder systems. GWSS has successfully completed the Product Design Assessment (PDA) program and built several prototype systems in order to obtain these ABS TYPE APPROVALS. GWSS now has approvals for AFFF foam tank systems(6%, 3%, 1%) in tank sizes ranging from 100 gallons to 1,600 gallons. These approvals are for both our horizontal and vertical tank designs (see photos at right).

GWSS had previously received many ABS Class Approvals (case by case installations) on our foam systems. After years of research, design and many challenging installations, Gulf Wide Safety Systems, LLC has became a world leader in marine foam fire fighting systems. The ABS TYPE APPROVAL PROGRAM was a rigorous challenge to our engineering designs, fabrication process and final testing of prototypes, that no other company has completed.

There are two (2) different kinds of approvals that are provided by ABS. The two programs are CLASS APPROVAL (case by case) and TYPE APPROVAL

Class Approval Vs. Type Approval

The CLASS APPROVAL is by far the most commonly used ABS approval. The CLASS APPROVAL is provided on a case by case basis to any manufacture. Each separate installation requires that all design calculations and blue prints must be reviewed by ABS. Upon ABS acceptance of the engineering design, ABS must witness and sign off on various stages of manufacturing. This includes all weld procedures, valves, pipe and fittings, material test results (MTRs) from the original manufactures of all raw materials, and all component certifications. ABS must be present for any hydrotesting before painting, functional test at the manufacturing facility and then again at the offshore facility, after installation. This process takes considerable time and expense to complete under ideal conditions. The costs are never known until the project is complete and this unknown factor must be taken into consideration at the time of pricing.

The ABS TYPE APPROVAL is geared for companies that have a proven design that will be repeatedly used. The manufacturing process and the materials must be the same each time the product is manufactured.

GWSS Type Approval includes a total of 28 separate designs and calculations that were submitted for the horizontal and vertical tank systems. These calculations were checked thoroughly by the ABS engineering group. After six (6) months in ABS design approvals, permission was given to build prototypes of the horizontal and vertical AFFF foam systems for verification of the manufacturing process and testing. Each tank was built, at considerable expense. ABS witnessed the welding and manufacturing procedures, witnessed hydro test, checked the MTRs and returned after painting for final shop functional testing. After completion and testing of both systems, ABS certified all of our designs and manufacturing processes.

GWSS must maintain and keep serial numbers, records and chart recordings of all hydrotesting for all future AFFF systems without the presence of ABS. GWSS does not have to submit any future drawings and calculations for our PDA proven AFFF Foam system designs. ABS does reserve the right to witness any and all tests for quality control, but rarely will choose to do so under the TYPE APPROVAL PROGRAM.

This is the main difference between the ABS Class Approval and the ABS Type Approval Programs. GWSS now provides our customers with less paperwork and quicker installation time; without the normal delays associated with the approval process. Please contact Gulf Wide Safety Systems for further information.