Annex - Amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as Amended
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Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Resolutions - Maritime Safety Committee - Resolution MSC.404(96) - Amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as Amended - (Adopted on 19 May 2016) - Annex - Amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as Amended

Annex - Amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as Amended

 This document has been consolidated into SOLAS

CHAPTER II-2 - CONSTRUCTION – FIRE PROTECTION, FIRE DETECTION AND FIRE EXTINCTION

PART A - GENERAL

Regulation 3 – Definitions

1 The following new paragraphs are added after the existing paragraph 56:

"57 Helicopter landing area is an area on a ship designated for occasional or emergency landing of helicopters but not designed for routine helicopter operations.

58 Winching area is a pick-up area provided for the transfer by helicopter of personnel or stores to or from the ship, while the helicopter hovers above the deck.

PART D - ESCAPE

Regulation 13 – Means of escape

1 The footnote to the title of paragraph 3.2 is deleted.

2 The following new paragraphs are added after the existing paragraph 3.2.6.2:

  • "3.2.7 Evacuation analysis for passenger shipsfootnote

    3.2.7.1 Escape routes shall be evaluated by an evacuation analysis early in the design process. This analysis shall apply to:

    • .1 ro-ro passenger ships constructed on or after 1 July 1999; and

    • .2 other passenger ships constructed on or after 1 January 2020 carrying more than 36 passengers.

    3.2.7.2 The analysis shall be used to identify and eliminate, as far as practicable, congestion which may develop during an abandonment, due to normal movement of passengers and crew along escape routes, including the possibility that crew may need to move along these routes in a direction opposite to the movement of passengers. In addition, the analysis shall be used to demonstrate that escape arrangements are sufficiently flexible to provide for the possibility that certain escape routes, assembly stations, embarkation stations or survival craft may not be available as a result of a casualty.

3 Paragraph 7.4 is deleted.

PART G - SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Regulation 18 – Helicopter facilities

4 A new paragraph 2.3 is added after the existing paragraph 2.2, as follows:

  • "2.3 Notwithstanding the requirements of paragraph 2.2 above, ships constructed on or after 1 January 2020, having a helicopter landing area, shall be provided with foam firefighting appliances which comply with the relevant provisions of chapter 17 of the Fire Safety Systems Code."

and the subsequent paragraphs are renumbered accordingly.

5 The renumbered paragraph 2.4 is replaced with the following text:

  • "2.4 Notwithstanding the requirements of paragraph 2.2 or 2.3 above, ro-ro passenger ships without helidecks shall comply with regulation III/28."

6 A new paragraph 5.1.6 is added after the existing paragraph 5.1.5 as follows:

  • ".6 in lieu of the requirements of paragraphs 5.1.3 through 5.1.5, on ships constructed on or after 1 January 2020 having a helideck, foam firefighting appliances which comply with the provisions of the Fire Safety Systems Code."

and the remaining paragraphs are renumbered accordingly.

CHAPTER III - LIFE-SAVING APPLIANCES AND ARRANGEMENTS

PART A - GENERAL

Regulation 3 – Definitions

7 The following new paragraph 25 is added after the existing paragraph 24:

  • "25 Requirements for maintenance, thorough examination, operational testing, overhaul and repair means the Requirements for maintenance, thorough examination, operational testing, overhaul and repair of lifeboats and rescue boats, launching appliances and release gear, adopted by the Maritime Safety Committee of the Organization by resolution MSC.402(96), as may be amended by the Organization, provided that such amendments are adopted, brought into force and take effect in accordance with the provisions of article VIII of the present Convention concerning the amendment procedures applicable to the annex other than chapter I."

PART B - REQUIREMENTS FOR SHIPS AND LIFE-SAVING APPLIANCES

Regulation 20 – Operational readiness, maintenance and inspections

8 The existing paragraph 3.1 is replaced with the following text:

  • "3.1 Maintenance, testing and inspections of life-saving appliances shall be carried out in a manner having due regard to ensuring reliability of such appliances."

9 The existing paragraph 11 is replaced with the following text:

  • "11 Maintenance, thorough examination, operational testing, overhaul and repair of lifeboats, rescue boats and fast rescue boats, launching appliances and release gear

  • 11.1 Launching appliances shall be:

    • .1 subject to a thorough examination at the annual surveys required by regulations I/7 or I/8, as applicable; and

    • .2 upon completion of the examination referred to in paragraph 11.1.1, subjected to a dynamic test of the winch brake at maximum lowering speed. The load to be applied shall be the mass of the survival craft or rescue boat without persons on board, except that, at intervals of at least once every five years, the test shall be carried out with a proof load equal to 1.1 times the weight of the survival craft or rescue boat and its full complement of persons and equipment.

  • 11.2 Lifeboat and rescue boat release gear, including fast rescue boat release gear and free-fall lifeboat release systems, shall be:

    • .1 subject to a thorough examination and operational test during the annual surveys required by regulations I/7 and I/8;

    • .2 in case of on-load release gear, operationally tested under a load of 1.1 times the total mass of the boat when loaded with its full complement of persons and equipment whenever the release gear is overhauled. Such overhauling and operational test shall be carried out at least once every five years;footnote and

    • .3 notwithstanding paragraph 11.2.2, the operational testing of free-fall lifeboat release systems shall be performed either by free fall launch with only the operating crew on board or by a test without launching the lifeboat carried out based on Requirements for maintenance, thorough examination, operational testing, overhaul and repair.

  • 11.3 Davit-launched liferaft automatic release hooks shall be:

    • .1 subject to a thorough examination and operational test during the annual surveys required by regulations I/7 and I/8; and

    • .2 operationally tested under a load of 1.1 times the total mass of the liferaft when loaded with its full complement of persons and equipment whenever the automatic release hook is overhauled. Such overhauling and operational test shall be carried out at least once every five years.footnote

  • 11.4 Lifeboats and rescue boats, including fast rescue boats, shall be subject to a thorough examination and operational test during the annual surveys required by regulations I/7 and I/8.

  • 11.5 The thorough examination, operational testing and overhaul required by paragraphs 11.1 to 11.4 and the maintenance and repair of equipment specified in paragraphs 11.1 to 11.4 shall be carried out in accordance with the Requirements for maintenance, thorough examination, operational testing, overhaul and repair, and the instructions for onboard maintenance as required by regulation 36.

Parent topic: Resolution MSC.404(96) - Amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as Amended - (Adopted on 19 May 2016)
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