The ninety-sixth session of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 96) was held at the IMO in London, U.K. from 11 to 20 May 2016. Since the minutes, resolutions and circulars of the meeting were recently released from the IMO, a summary of the decisions taken at MSC 96 is provided as below for your information.

1. Mandatory Requirements adopted
Mandatory requirements adopted at MSC 96 are as follows:

(1) Requirements of maintenance of lifeboats, etc. (See attachments 1 and 3)
MSC resolution on the requirements for maintenance, thorough examination, operational testing, overhaul and repair of lifeboats and rescue boats, launching appliances and release gear was adopted in conjunction with the adoption of the amendments to SOLAS III/3 and III/20 to make the MSC resolution mandatory.

Applied: on or after 1 January 2020

(2) Foam firefighting appliances for helidecks and helicopter landing area
(See attachments 2, 3, 5)
New chapter 17 of FSS Code which provides specifications for foam firefighting appliances for the protection of helideck defined in SOLAS II-2/III and helicopter landing area (an area on a ship designated for occasional or emergency landing of helicopter), and amendments to SOLAS II-2/18 to make the provisions mandatory were adopted. Further, the amendments to chapter 9 of the 2009 MODU Code (non-mandatory) were adopted with a view to incorporate the requirements of amended FSS Code.

Applied to: ships constructed on or after 1 January 2020

(3) Evacuation analysis for passenger ships (See attachments 3 and 17)
Ro-ro passenger ships constructed on or after 1 July 1999 are required to conduct an evacuation analysis for escape routes in accordance with existing SOLAS. At this session, the amendments to SOLAS II-2/13 to require an evacuation analysis for passenger ships carrying more than 36 passengers were adopted. Further, the amendments to Guidelines for evacuation analysis for new and existing passenger ships (MSC.1/Circ.1238) were approved in conjunction with its extended application (Please see section 3.2.(3)).

(To be continued)