IMO Certified Blind Fabrics for Yachts and Ships
With over 63,000 commercial boats registered in the UK, it’s essential that the materials used in these vessels are safe, certified, and controlled.
Emergencies at sea, such as a fire, are even more dangerous than on land because it’s more difficult to escape safely and quickly. Large, commercial ships tend to have a lot of confined spaces, plus fuel tanks in close proximity, which make emergencies even more dangerous.
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is a UN Special Agency whose duty it is to oversee international maritime shipping regulations. One of their most important duties is establishing testing standards and safety protocols for ships and their cargo.
The objective of IMO Certifications is to establish minimum quality standards for marine equipment on European ships. One critical aspect of these standards is fire safety and flammability.
IMO Certification Testing
IMO Certification was specifically intended for international commercial ships, such as cruise ships and commercial yachts.
For a fabric to gain IMO Certification it must go through a series of standardised tests to see how it reacts to an open flame. Performance criteria are in regard to burning droplets, flame spread, damaged length and after burn time.
If the material passes it can gain IMO Certification and is approved for use on commercial ships in Europe, Canada and by the US Coast Guard.
What are the risks of flammable shading?
As gravity-drop roller blinds, and curtains, are hung vertically, flames can spread readily up and across the fabric. The ignitability of fabrics varies – some fabrics catch fire readily, whilst others take longer.
Fabrics which aren’t inherently fire resistant, such as natural fibres like cotton and linen, are usually chemically treated to make them resist ignition. Fabrics which have been treated in this way are often described as ‘FR-treated’ – ‘FR’ standing for ‘Flame Retardant’. FR treatment is intended to improve resistance to ignition and reduce the rate at which a flame will spread across a surface.
Roller blind fabrics with IMO Certification
Mermet are a fabric manufacturer who are well known for their high-quality fabrics and rigorous testing process. They have fabrics that have been tested for their acoustic properties, their tensile strength, their suitability for outdoor use, and of course for their fire retardancy.
Mermet have 9 fabrics which have got IMO Certification and can be used on commercial ships.
These fabrics are:
Screen Vision 10 % – Basketweave fabric that combines visual comfort with transparency
M-Screen 8505 – Excellent visual control with optimised transparency and heat control
Screen Thermic – High textile technicality – double-sided fabric made in a tight twill weave for control of the most stringent glare problems
Satine 5500 – Suitable for use both internally and externally, very good glare control thanks to the twill weave design
3 blackout fabrics – Kibo 8500, Karellis 11303 and Flocke 11201 – blocking 100% of UV and light up to 100,000 lux
Acoustic 50 – Excellent acoustic absorption fabric with decorative application
Did you know that Umbra can provide samples of these fabrics?
Just get in touch and let us know which fabrics you’re interested in!
Not sure which fabric is best for you? We can help! We’re experts on blackout and glare-control blinds and can help you find the best fabric for your project.
Check out our fabrics page here to see more of our partner fabrics and request a sample of any of them!