1 The Maritime Safety Committee, at its seventy-fifth
session (15 to 24 May 2002), with a view to ensuring uniform application
of the fire test provisions of the FTP Code containing vague wording
which is open to diverging interpretations, approved unified interpretations
prepared by the Sub-Committee on Fire Protection at its forty-sixth
session, as set out in the annex.
2 Member Governments are invited to use the annexed
unified interpretations as guidance, when applying relevant provisions
of the FTP Code for the testing of new materials,
tested on or after 24 May 2002, in order to fulfil the requirements
of the 1974 SOLAS Convention, as amended,
and to bring the unified interpretations to the attention of all parties
concerned.
3 Member Governments are also advised to take
into account earlier unified interpretations to the FTP
Code and fire test procedures referred to in the Code, as given
in circulars MSC/Circular.964 and MSC/Circular.1004.