RS Reports on Key Developments of IMO SSE 12

As part of the efforts to improve mandatory and non-mandatory IMO instruments concerning life-saving appliances and fire protection measures, SSE 12 continued its work on:

• the revision of SOLAS Chapter III and the International Life-Saving Appliance Code;
• the development of new requirements related to innovation in the maritime industry, particularly regarding the reduction of fire hazards on ships carrying vehicles powered by new types of energy, and ensuring the safety of vessels using alternative fuels and new technologies.

In addition, progress was made on a number of issues, with work set to continue in the intersessional period. Among the most notable outcomes:

• approval of draft amendments to SOLAS regulations II-2/3 and II-2/9;
• approval of draft amendments to the revised standardized forms for reports on the evaluation and testing of life-saving appliances, including personal, collective, and other life-saving appliances, as well as visual signals for life-saving appliances;
• approval of draft amendments to SOLAS regulation II-2/7 concerning detection and control of fires on ships designed to carry containers on the open deck;
• approval of draft amendments to the revised recommendations on the maintenance and inspection of fixed carbon dioxide fire-extinguishing systems;
• development of a draft work plan aimed at reviewing safety regulations for alternative fuels and new technologies (methanol/ethanol, Fischer-Tropsch diesel fuel, lithium-ion batteries, supercapacitor-based energy storage technology, modular replaceable systems and advanced waste heat recovery technology).

A detailed report on the SSE 12 is available under the section "International Activity" - "Results of sessions of the IMO bodies" on the official RS website.

Additional information:

Founded in 1913, Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) is a world-renowned classification society that operates within all spheres of the maritime industry with the goal of improving the operational and environmental safety of marine transportation. RS reviews technical documentation, surveys ships and offshore facilities under construction and in service, certifies vessels and companies for compliance with international conventions, recognizes and certifies industrial products and manufacturers, certifies quality management systems for compliance with international and national standards.

Today, RS is actively expanding its scope of services in the field of engineering and consulting, the development of technical documentation for vessels in service, marine warranty surveys, management system certification and recognition of manufacturers. In addition, RS surveys all container types, including tank containers and offshore containers, confirms compliance of packaging for dangerous goods, as well as renders services on the declaration and certification of dangerous goods and bulk cargoes.