1 The Maritime Safety Committee at its sixty-third
session (16 to 25 May 1994), recognized the urgent necessity of providing
guidelines for alternative arrangements for halon fire-extinguishing
systems which are prohibited to be installed on board ships on or
after 1 October 1994 in accordance with the provisions of the revised
SOLAS regulation II-2/5 (resolution
MSC.27(61)).
2 The Sub-Committee on Fire Protection, at its
thirty-ninth session (27 June to 1 July 1994), prepared draft texts
of guidelines for water-based systems, which may be installed as a
replacement system from the halon fire-extinguishing system in the
machinery spaces and cargo pump-rooms, and appendices to the guidelines
covering component manufacturing standards and fire test procedures.
3 The Maritime Safety Committee, at its sixty-fourth
session (5 to 9 December 1994), approved the guidelines contained
in annex.
4 Member Governments are invited to apply the
attached guidelines, component manufacturing standards and fire test
procedures for water-based systems in machinery spaces and cargo pump-rooms,
which should, for that purpose, be approved under the provisions of
SOLAS regulation I/5 (Equivalents).