IACS will actively participate in the forthcoming 11th session of the Sub-Committee on Ship Systems and Equipment (SSE 11) which will meet from 24 to 28 February 2025.
The Sub-Committee on Ship Systems and Equipment (SSE) deals with a wide range of technical and operational matters related to systems and equipment on all types of ships, vessels, craft and mobile units covered by IMO instruments. This includes life-saving equipment, appliances and arrangements; and fire detection and fire extinguishing systems. IACS has submitted the following documents:
SSE 11/4/2 seeks clarification on the scope of application of the draft amendments to paragraph 4.7.6.4 of the LSA Code relating to the simulating launching of free-fall lifeboats and opines that the amendments were not intended to apply retrospectively;
SSE 11/9 proposes that the existing explanatory figures from MSC circulars which provide guidance on SOLAS regulation II-2/9 be compiled into a new guidance document, for example, an MSC circular, if the guidance text is lifted into SOLAS regulation II-2/9;
SSE 11/9/1 proposes to consider the existing IACS guidance when amending SOLAS regulation II-2/9 to clarify requirements, eliminate ambiguities and make the regulation more comprehensive;
SSE 11/INF.3 informs about IACS unified interpretations which have not been published as IMO circulars, but which may be useful in the review and update of SOLAS regulation II-2/9;
SSE 11/10/1 presents Revision 1 of IACS UI SC 211, which provides unified interpretations of SOLAS regulations II-2/3.6 and II-2/4.5.1.1 to facilitate uniform consideration of spaces in the forecastle area protected from cargo tanks;
SSE 11/10/2 presents IACS unified interpretation SC 307 of SOLAS regulation II-2/4.5.10 regarding the protection of cargo pump-rooms;
SSE 11/10/3 provides revision 2 of IACS UI SC 269 containing a unified interpretation of SOLAS regulation II-2/13.4.2 relating to the means of escape from the steering gear spaces in cargo ships;
SSE 11/10/4 presents IACS unified interpretation (UI) SC11 of the vague phrase “other high fire risk areas” in SOLAS regulation II-1/45.5.3 relating to the precautions against shock, fire and other hazards of electrical origin. The intention is to clarify which areas the cables and wiring serving essential or emergency power, lighting, internal communications or signals should be routed clear of, so far as practicable;
SSE 11/10/5 responds to the outcome of SSE 10 and proposes a revised draft unified interpretation of SOLAS regulation II-1/3-13.2.4 to facilitate uniform documentation of load testing and thorough examination for existing non-certified lifting appliances;
SSE 11/10/6 contains the new IACS UI SC305 (New), which recognizes the related decision of MSC 109 and provides unified interpretation of SOLAS regulation II-1/26.2 applicable to cargo and passenger ships to facilitate uniform consideration relating to single essential propulsion components and their reliability;
SSE 11/10/7 proposes a unified interpretation of SOLAS regulation II-2/10.11, relating to the extinguishing media containing PFOS, and a unified interpretation of regulation 7.9.4 of the 1994 and 2000 HSC Codes, relating to the fire-extinguishing media restrictions;
SSE 11/17/1 proposes to include the output “Revision of the Revised guidelines for the maintenance and inspections of fixed carbon dioxide fire-extinguishing systems (MSC.1/Circ.1318/Rev.1) to clarify the testing and inspection provisions for CO2 cylinders” in the provisional agenda for SSE 12;
SSE 11/17/2 proposes placing the post-biennial output on “Revision of the Guidelines for the application of plastic pipes on ships (resolution A.753(18))”, on the provisional agenda for SSE 12 and offers the scope of its revision in several aspects in order to reduce potential ambiguities and deviation from the current state of the art;
SSE 11/17/3 proposes to include the output “Development of amendments to paragraph 2.1.2.5 of chapter 5 of the FSS Code on construction requirement for gaskets” in the provisional agenda for SSE 12 and offers a proposal for consideration at that session to revise paragraph 2.1.2.5 of chapter 5 of the FSS Code to align the construction requirement for gaskets used in discharge piping inside protected spaces, with other IMO instruments;
SSE 11/19/1 highlights minor discrepancies between the LSA Code and ISO Standard 18813 (2006 and 2022 versions).
