|
Fire Safety
New SOLAS Chapter
II-2
The
MSC approved a complete re-write of the current Chapter II-2 with
the view that it will be open for adoption in November at MSC73.
For the most part, the Chapter incorporates previous amendments,
recommendations and standards approved by IMO.
The
new Chapter II-2 no longer includes testing procedures and engineering
specifications for fire detection, extinction and alarm systems
and equipment. These specifications have been removed and are located
in the 1996 Fire Test Procedures (FTP) Code contained in resolution
MSC.61(67) and in the draft new Fire Safety Systems (FSS) Code.
Chapter
II-2 contains requirements for structural fire integrity, fire detection,
extinction and alarm systems according to the type of ship and the
space at risk. It applies to new ships, built on/after 1 July 2002
and, except for the few regulations which currently are applicable
to existing ships (e.g., halon prohibition, dead end corridor limits,
passenger ship fire fighting upgrades), it does not contain any
retroactive requirements for existing ships. Japan intends to submit
a paper to MSC 73 which will propose that the requirements applicable
to existing ships need not be complied with until the first survey
that comes due after 1 July 2002.
A
new section has been included in Chapter II-2 which provides general
methodology for assessing alternative fire safety designs and arrangements.
Guidelines, referred to by the regulations, need to be developed
to describe the extent of engineering analysis required and a quantifiable
criteria to adequately cover sources of ignition and fire growth,
smoke and toxicity potential according to the type of space and
ship under evaluation. 12.10
Consistent
with the recommendations arising from IMO’s 1997 Air Pollution
Conference, Chapter II-2 also prohibits the use of perfluorocarbons
(PFC’s) in shipboard fire extinguishing systems. 12.15
Fire
Safety Systems Code
The
MSC approved a new resolution containing the Code on Fire Safety
Systems (FSS). If adopted at MSC73 in November 2000, the Code will
become mandatory on 1 July 2002, when it is also expected that the
new Chapter II-2 will come into force. The FSS code amalgamates
performance standards, which were contained in SOLAS II-2 and in
various IMO resolutions, for fire extinguishing (gas, foam and spray)
systems, smoke detection and alarm systems, fire fighting personnel
protection, inert gas system and means of escape. 12.10
|
