SOLAS Amendments Year 2020 and 2021, Chapter II-1 and II-2

Important SOLAS amendments, relating to Chapter II-1 and II-2, entering into force on 1 January 2020.

2016 amendments (MSC.404(96))

Part A General

Regulation 3 – Definitions

• Helicopter landing area is an area on a ship designated for occasional or emergency landing of helicopters but not designed for routine helicopter operations.
• Winching area is a pick-up area provided for the transfer by helicopter of personnel or stores to or from the ship, while the helicopter hovers above the deck.

2016 amendments (MSC.409(97))

Part C Suppression of fire

Regulation 10 – Firefighting
In the case of domestic boilers of less than 175 kW, or boilers protected by fixed water-based local application fire-extinguishing systems, an approved foam-type extinguisher of at least 135 litre capacity is not required.

2017 amendments (MSC.421(98))

Part C Suppression of fire

Regulation 9 – Containment of fire
For ships carrying more than 36 passengers, windows facing survival craft, embarkation and assembly stations, external stairs and open decks used for escape routes, and windows situated below liferaft and escape slide embarkation areas shall have fire integrity. Where automatic dedicated sprinkler heads are provided for windows, “A-0” windows may be accepted as equivalent. To be considered under this paragraph, the sprinkler heads must either be:

1. Dedicated heads located above the windows, and installed in addition to the conventional ceiling sprinklers; or
2. Conventional ceiling sprinkler heads arranged such that the window is protected by an average application rate of at least 5 l/min per square metre and the additional window area is included in the calculation of the area of coverage; or
3. Water-mist nozzles that have been tested and approved in accordance with the Guidelines approved by the Organisation; and

Windows located in the ship’s side below the lifeboat embarkation area shall have fire integrity at least equal to “A-0” class.
For ships carrying not more than 36 passengers, windows facing survival craft and escape slide, embarkation areas and windows situated below such areas shall have fire integrity at least equal to “A-0″ class.”

Amendments adopted by the 96th session of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 96):

Amendments to chapter 8 of the International Code for Fire Safety Systems (FSS Code) regarding prevention of internal corrosion and clogging of sprinklers and the inclusion of a new chapter 17 in the FSS Code, mandating requirements for helicopter facility foam firefighting appliances.