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Accommodation & Habitability
Living Quarters
Living Quarters covers the equipment that houses, feeds and occupies the people on board an offshore unit. It takes in portable accommodation modules lifted onto deck, marine galley and mess equipment, and gym and recreation room gear. The permanent accommodation block built into a hull or topsides belongs to the unit itself and sits outside this group, although its galley and gym fittings are inside it.
Three sub-Categories with very different paperwork
The regulatory weight falls unevenly across the group. A module is a lifted structure and an occupied fire boundary, so its certificates decide whether it can go offshore at all. Galley equipment carries specific fire rules and refrigerant limits. Recreational gear has almost no class paperwork, and condition decides most of its value.
| Sub-Category | What it includes | What decides fit on your unit |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation modules | Cabins, offices, changing rooms, mess and sick bay modules in a liftable steel frame | Lifting certificate, fire class, hazardous area rating, gross mass |
| Galley and mess equipment | Ranges, fryers, combi ovens, dishwashers, cold rooms, mess furniture | Supply voltage, SOLAS fryer and duct protection, refrigerant |
| Recreational equipment | Gym machines, free weights, AV and games room gear, lounge furniture | Usage class, deck fixing, fire performance of upholstery |
Rules that reach across the group
Maritime Labour Convention
The ILO Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC) applies to ships, and each flag state decides how it treats a mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) and the industrial personnel on it. Fixed platforms fall outside it. Where it applies, Regulation 3.1 and Standard A3.1 set the floor for sleeping rooms, sanitary spaces, mess rooms and recreational facilities. Two of its fixed dimensions affect used modules directly. Headroom in accommodation must be at least 203 cm (6 ft 8 in), and a berth must measure at least 198 by 80 cm (78 by 31.5 in) inside.
Structural fire protection
SOLAS chapter II-2 and, on a MODU, chapter 9 of the IMO MODU Code set the fire integrity of each boundary by the categories of space on either side. Accommodation facing a hazardous area or a machinery space commonly needs an A-60 boundary. Any module, galley fitting or furniture you add must keep that boundary intact, including every cable and duct penetration through it.
Hazardous area classification
The unit's hazardous area drawing, prepared to IEC 60079-10-1, API RP 505 (zones) or API RP 500 (divisions), shows where flammable gas may be present. A Zone 1 area may contain gas in normal operation, and a Zone 2 area only under abnormal conditions. Electrical equipment in either needs Ex certification, under ATEX in the EU or IECEx elsewhere, or must sit inside a pressurised enclosure.
Refrigerants
MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 12 bars new installations containing ozone-depleting substances. Since 1 January 2020 that ban has covered HCFC refrigerants such as R22, so a used cold room, fridge or module air conditioner charged with R22 cannot be installed as new equipment.
Integration questions to settle first
- Electrical supply. Rigs run 440 V 60 Hz or 400 V 50 Hz three-phase, often as an insulated system without a distributed neutral. Equipment that expects a neutral or a different frequency needs a transformer or a different build.
- Persons on board. Extra berths raise the number of people the unit carries. Lifeboat and liferaft capacity, muster space, galley output, potable water and sewage treatment all have to match the new total.
- Lifting and deck space. A module's gross mass has to fit the platform crane's rated load at the working radius and the deck's allowable load.
- Safety systems. Modules and galleys tie into fire and gas detection, emergency shutdown, public address and general alarm. Confirm the signals and voltages match before buying.
Sourcing used living quarters equipment
Unused surplus from a cancelled newbuild or an over-ordered project is usually already built for marine supply and fire rules, and is the closest match to new. Used modules make sense for a campaign of known length when the frame and lifting set pass periodic inspection. Used galley equipment is worth the risk on simple items and on complex ones with a service history. Used gym gear is often the practical choice once you have checked its usage class and wear. Naventr can arrange an inspection on request and answer questions from the Seller's records.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Does the Maritime Labour Convention apply to accommodation on a drilling rig?
It depends on the flag state. The MLC applies to ships, and each flag decides how it treats a MODU and the industrial personnel on board, while fixed platforms fall outside it. Where it applies, Standard A3.1 sets minimums such as 203 cm headroom and berths of at least 198 by 80 cm.
What fire rating does offshore accommodation need?
Accommodation boundaries facing a hazardous area or machinery space are commonly A-60 under SOLAS chapter II-2 and the MODU Code. Some operators ask for H-60 or H-120, which are tested against a hydrocarbon fire rather than a cellulosic one. Your unit's fire integrity drawing gives the class each boundary needs.
Can I put safe-area equipment in a module near the drill floor?
Only if the module sits outside every classified zone on your unit's hazardous area drawing. Inside Zone 1 or Zone 2, the electrics need ATEX or IECEx certification for that zone, or the module must be pressurised with gas detection on its air intake and automatic shutdown on loss of pressure.
Can I install a used cold room or air conditioner that runs on R22?
Not as a new installation. MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 12 has banned new installations containing HCFCs such as R22 since 1 January 2020. Equipment already installed may keep running, but fitting it to another unit is generally treated as a new installation, so plan on converting it to a permitted refrigerant first.
What supply voltage does offshore accommodation equipment run on?
Most rigs supply 440 V 60 Hz or 400 V 50 Hz three-phase, often without a distributed neutral. Check the nameplate voltage, phase, frequency and whether the equipment needs a neutral before buying, because shore catering and gym equipment is often built for a different supply.
Looking for living quarters?
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