The 10th session of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Sub-Committee on Ship Systems and Equipment (SSE 10) was held from March 4th to 8th, 2024. Several key discussions and decisions were made during the session, says an article published on dnv website.
Summary
- SSE 10 discussed evaluating fire safety systems for ships carrying new energy and electric vehicles, focusing on fire protection, detection, and extinction arrangements in specific spaces to reduce fire risks.
- Initiatives were started to address the detection and control of fires in cargo holds of container ships, acknowledging technical challenges in managing such incidents.
- Draft amendments to harmonize life jacket carriage requirements across different regulations, including the 1994 and 2000 High-Speed Craft (HSC) Codes, were agreed upon to enhance safety standards.
- A draft roadmap was developed for the revision of SOLAS Chapter III and the Life-Saving Appliances (LSA) Code to address identified gaps, inconsistencies, and hazards in maritime safety.
Consideration Of Fire Safety Systems For New Energy And Electric Vehicles
SSE 10 agreed on a roadmap to evaluate the adequacy of fire safety systems for ships carrying new energy and electric vehicles. This includes examining fire protection, detection, and extinction arrangements in vehicle, special category, and ro-ro spaces. The focus is on reducing the risk of fire in such spaces.
Initiation Of Measures For Detecting And Controlling Fires In Cargo Holds Of Container Ships
A discussion was initiated regarding measures to detect and control fires in the cargo holds of container ships. This is in response to several serious fires in the cargo area of container ships, highlighting technical challenges in locating, containing, and fighting such fires.
Agreed Draft Amendments To Harmonize Life Jacket Carriage Requirements
Draft amendments to the 1994 and 2000 High-Speed Craft (HSC) Codes were agreed upon to harmonize life jacket carriage requirements with those in SOLAS Chapter III. This aims to ensure consistency and improve safety standards across regulations.
Revision Of SOLAS Chapter III And The LSA Code
A draft roadmap was developed for the revision of SOLAS Chapter III and the Life-Saving Appliances (LSA) Code to address gaps, inconsistencies, and ambiguities. This involves drafting functional requirements and expected performance based on identified goals and hazards.
Consideration Of Various Unified Interpretations
SSE 10 agreed on several draft Unified Interpretations (UIs) to clarify various regulations, including maintenance of inflated rescue boats, machinery space arrangements, and the reliability of essential propulsion components.
Recommendations And Future Considerations
Amendments and decisions made during SSE 10 are subject to further consideration and approval by the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC). It’s recommended that stakeholders monitor the outcome of MSC 109 in December 2024 for further developments.
Additionally, it was noted that MSC 108 in May 2024 will be the last session adopting amendments to the 2026 update of SOLAS and related mandatory codes, due to the four-year cycle of entry into force.
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Source: dnv
