IMO certification for marine flooring: what it means and why it matters

Ashore, you choose a floor on performance and comfort. At sea, a non-negotiable layer comes on top: maritime regulation. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) sets the safety requirements for shipping worldwide, and those requirements extend all the way to the floor finish in corridors, cabins and public spaces.

Why a floor on board is different. The core is fire safety. A ship at sea cannot be evacuated to the outside; slowing fire spread is literally vital. Materials on board must therefore be demonstrably of low flammability, develop little smoke and release no toxic gases. For flooring systems this means the complete build-up, from levelling compound to top layer, must be tested for those properties according to the international fire test procedures. In addition, a marine floor must withstand conditions that barely exist ashore: constant vibration, deflection of the steel deck, salt, moisture and large temperature differences between deck and engine room.

What MED and the wheelmark mean. Ships under a European flag fall under the Marine Equipment Directive (MED). Equipment that meets the requirements carries the wheelmark, the maritime equivalent of CE. For a yard or owner, that mark is the shortest route through inspection: it proves the flooring system has been tested and approved by a notified body, and it prevents discussion during flag state and class surveys. Without certification, a floor simply does not board a passenger ship.

Certificate plus installation. As ashore, so at sea: the certificate tests the system, practice tests the installation. On board, the complexity of the yard comes on top: working in confined spaces, between other disciplines, on a schedule that revolves around dock days. Herculan develops and produces its marine flooring systems in its own factory in Meerkerk and installs them with its own teams at the yard or on location, worldwide. Certificates and product documentation per system are available in our documentation.

To see how that comes together, look on board Marella Discovery, where deck finish, fire requirements and a tight dock schedule converged in a single project.

Does your project sail under IMO requirements? Put your specification to us and we will advise which certified system fits ship, space and schedule.