The Panama Government informed ClassNK the special requirements for Spare Charges, Additional Fire Extinguishers and Refilling of Extinguishers onboard the Panama flag vessels (Merchant Marine Circular No.226) as follows.

1. Spare charges and Refilling for portable fire extinguishers
(1) Spare charges shall be provided for 100% of the first 10 extinguishers and 50% of the remaining fire extinguishers capable of being recharged onboard. Not more than 60 total spare charges are required. Instructions for recharging should be carried onboard.
(2) For fire extinguishers which can not be recharged onboard, additional portable fire extinguishers of the same quantity, type, capacity and number as determined in above (1) shall be provided.
(3) Periodic refilling of the cylinders should be in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. Only refills approved for the extinguisher may be used for recharging. Partially emptied extinguishers should be recharged.

2. Additional portable fire extinguishers
(1) Vessels constructed on or after 1 January 2009 should use the attached table showed in the MSC.1/Circ.1275 as reference for the number and arrangement of portable fire extinguishers in accommodation spaces, service spaces, control stations, machinery spaces of category A, other machinery spaces, cargo spaces, weather deck and other spaces on board ship.
(2) Regardless of above (1), for vessels constructed on or after 1 January 2009 and contracted for construction before 15 April 2009 will be required mandatory by the first renewal or intermediate survey of Safety Equipment certificate coming for ship after the posing of Merchant Marine Circular No.226.
(3) In the case where that the additional portable fire extinguishers provided onboard, the additional spare charges should be provided onboard in accordance with (1) and (2) in paragraph 1.
(4) In the case where that the additional portable fire extinguishers and additional spare charges provided onboard, the information should be written in fire control plans onboard.

(To be continued)