A summary of the decisions taken at the ninety-first session of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 91) held from 26 to 30 November 2012 is presented hereunder for your information.

1. Adopted mandatory requirements
The main mandatory requirements adopted at the session are as follows.
(1) Protection against noise (Amendments to SOLAS II-1/3-12) (see Attachment 2)
Amendments to SOLAS II-1/3-12 were adopted, to strengthen the current recommendatory Code on noise levels on board ships (Resolution A.468(XII)) and make the code mandatory. (see 3. Code on noise levels on board ships made mandatory below)

Application:
New ships of 1,600 gross tonnage and above:
- for which the building contract is placed on or after 1 July 2014; or,
- in the absence of building contract, constructed (keel-laid) on or after 1 January 2015; or,
- the delivery of which is on or after 1 July 2018

(2) Containment of fire (Amendments to SOLAS II-2/9) (see Attachment 2)
Amendments to SOLAS II-2/9 were adopted, to strengthen the criteria for the fire integrity, requiring "A-30" class divisions for bulkheads and decks for ro-ro and vehicle spaces and "A-0" class divisions for open decks of ro-ro spaces, etc. regarding passenger ships carrying not more than 36 passengers and cargo ships.

Application:
- New ships constructed (keel-laid) on or after 1 July 2014

(3) Fixed local application fire-fighting systems (Amendments to SOLAS II-2/10.5.6.3) (see Attachment 2)
Amendments to SOLAS II-2/10.5.6.3 were adopted, to expand the scope of application of the fixed local application fire-fighting systems to all internal combustion machinery in machinery spaces of category A.

(To be continued)