Most architectural finish suppliers hand you a product and leave your compliance team to figure out the rest. Shanko engages with the process from the start.


Fire safety compliance is where most interior surface suppliers go quiet. They can tell you what their product looks like and how it installs. Ask them about SOLAS applicability, FTP Code test methods, or how their finish layer gets evaluated in the context of a tested assembly, and the conversation stalls. You end up with a product you like and a compliance gap you have to close yourself.

 

That's a problem that compounds quickly on a marine project. Flag-state submissions, classification society review, shipyard fire engineer sign-off; these aren't formalities that happen at the end of a project. They run through the entire specification and procurement process. A surface material that can't be clearly positioned within that framework creates delays, substitutions, and in some cases, rework.

 

Shanko approaches compliance as part of the product conversation, not as an afterthought.

 

The Regulatory Framework That Governs Marine Interior Surfaces

Understanding where pressed metal panels sit within marine fire safety regulation starts with understanding how that regulation is structured.

 

  • SOLAS - Safety of Life at Sea is the foundational international framework governing fire safety aboard passenger vessels. Chapter II-2 covers fire protection, detection, and extinction, and it establishes requirements for interior surface materials used in spaces accessible to passengers and crew. Design Options for Cruise Interiors The relevant requirements address surface flammability, flame spread, smoke generation, and toxicity, and apply to walls, ceilings, and decorative surfaces throughout a vessel.

 

  • The IMO 2010 FTP Code - Fire Test Procedures Code is the testing framework that sits beneath SOLAS. It defines the test methods used to evaluate interior materials against the performance requirements established by SOLAS. For surface-finish materials, the relevant sections of the FTP Code address how a material's contribution to fire spread and smoke generation is measured, and critically, whether a finish layer is evaluated on its own or as part of a complete assembly.

This distinction matters for pressed metal panels. A steel substrate with a powder coat or painted finish behaves differently in a fire test than a lightweight decorative panel with a polymer surface. The substrate, the finish, and their combination all factor into how the material is evaluated and ultimately classified.

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How Surface Materials Are Evaluated in Practice

Marine fire compliance for interior finishes isn't a single checkbox. It involves several layers of evaluation that your compliance team, shipyard fire engineers, and the relevant classification society will work through together.

Surface Flammability

Describes how a material behaves when exposed to a flame source; specifically, how quickly flame spreads across the surface and whether the material contributes to fire propagation. Steel-based panels with appropriate finishes perform well against this criterion compared to many alternative surface categories.

Smoke Generation & Toxicity

Are evaluated separately from flammability and are increasingly scrutinized under current IMO requirements. Materials that produce dense or toxic smoke under fire conditions pose serious risks to evacuation and firefighting; classification societies and flag states closely monitor this aspect of finish material selection.

Tested Assemblies vs. Finish-Layer Evaluation

Is a distinction that creates confusion on many projects. Some materials are evaluated as standalone products. Others are only compliant as part of a specific tested assembly — meaning the substrate, adhesive, and finish must all match the tested configuration for the compliance claim to hold. Understanding which category a proposed material falls into is essential before it is submitted to a flag state.

Shanko works with your team to ensure these questions are answered accurately and early, before they become specification problems.

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Working With Shipyard Fire Engineers & Classification Societies

Compliance on a marine project isn't a document submission. It's a conversation that involves your shipyard's fire engineering team, the vessel's flag state, and in many cases a classification society; DNV, Lloyd's Register, Bureau Veritas, or others, depending on the vessel and registry.

 

Each of these parties has its own review process, documentation requirements, and questions about how a proposed surface material was tested and under what conditions. A supplier who understands this landscape can help you prepare for those conversations. A supplier who doesn't add friction to every stage of the review.

 

Shanko's position is straightforward: we know the questions that will be asked, we prepare accurate documentation to support your submission, and we engage directly with your technical team when the review process requires it. We don't overstate our certifications, and we don't leave your compliance team guessing.

Ready to Talk About Your Project?

Every project has a different compliance picture depending on vessel class, flag state, intended trade route, and the specific spaces being outfitted. There's no single answer that applies across all of them.

 

If you're in the specification or early procurement phase of a newbuild or refit project, the right move is a direct conversation. Provide the vessel class, flag state, and the spaces you're looking to outfit. We'll tell you exactly where Shanko panels fit within your compliance framework and what documentation we can provide to support your review process.

Request Compliance Documentation