‘A’ Class Division Sign

‘A’ Class Division Sign

An a class division sign marks a fire-rated bulkhead or deck, not a door, identifying the fixed structural boundary that separates one fire zone from another. FS0142 is fitted along corridors, stairwell enclosures, and machinery casings to show crew and visiting surveyors exactly where the ‘A’ class fire boundary runs, which matters when planning firefighting response or verifying compartmentation during survey.

This sign is cross-referenced to IMPA 33.6031 and ISSA 47.560.31, and is supplied in two sizes, 150x150mm and 300x300mm, so it can be applied at regular intervals along a long bulkhead run or at a single clear point on a shorter division. Consistent use of an a class division sign at every rated boundary is standard practice for keeping a vessel’s fire control plan easy to follow on a walk-through.

Unlike a door sign, which marks a single opening, a division sign is often repeated at intervals along a corridor or stairwell to make the extent of the fire boundary clear even where there is no door in sight, particularly useful on longer accommodation passageways.

Marking Fire Zone Boundaries Onboard

FS0142 is typically fitted along accommodation corridor bulkheads, machinery space casings, and stairwell enclosures at the points where the structure changes fire rating. It is also used where a division continues past a door, so that the full run of the boundary, not just the door opening, is clearly identified for anyone tracing the fire control plan against the physical structure. This is particularly relevant during class survey, where surveyors check that documented fire zone boundaries match what is actually built and marked onboard.

Durable Vinyl for Structural Marking

Manufactured as standard on photoluminescent (glow-in-the-dark) fire-retardant marine-grade material, this sign is chosen to remain legible and visible during a power failure over the long service life expected of a fixed structural marking rather than a door sign that sees more frequent handling. The graphic resists fading from long-term lighting exposure in corridors and stairwells, and both 150x150mm and 300x300mm sizes are available in Class C or Class D vinyl to match your vessel’s fire safety documentation.

Mounting Options and Compliance

FS0142 is supplied as a self-adhesive label for direct application to painted bulkheads and casings, or as a rigid panel where a more robust fixed sign is preferred for a high-traffic corridor. Clear structural fire boundary marking is a documentation point checked against the vessel’s fire control plan and is consistent with the graphical symbol conventions covered by the relevant ISO standard. It is available in the Fire Fighting Signs category together with the full ‘A’ class door range, allowing a complete fire zone marking package, doors and divisions together, to be ordered in one batch.

Planning Quantities for a Full Boundary Run

Because a division sign is often repeated at intervals rather than fitted once per opening, quantities for FS0142 tend to be higher than for a comparable door sign covering the same section of a vessel. Ordering against IMPA 33.6031 and ISSA 47.560.31 for the full length of a corridor or stairwell boundary ensures every a class division sign along that run carries the identical pictogram, which makes the fire zone boundary easy to trace visually from one end of the passageway to the other during a drill or a class inspection. Newly built vessels commissioning their fire control plan for the first time typically order this a class division sign in the same batch as the corresponding door signage, so the whole boundary, structure and openings alike, is marked consistently before handover.