This Merchant Shipping Notice forms an integral part of the Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023/568) (“the 2023 Regulations”), which make provision generally for fire protection in the construction of ships and implement Chapter II-2 of the Annex to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (fire protection, fire detection and fire extinction). This Notice is made mandatory by way of reference to it in those Regulations.
Sections 3 to 10 of this Notice contain the technical requirements referred to in Part 2 and Part 6 of the 2023 Regulations with respect to ships constructed before 1st July 2002 of Classes I, II, VII, VII(A), VII(T), VIII, VIII(T), IX, IX(A) and IX(A)(T) engaged on international voyages, and to ships of Classes II(A), VII(A), VIII(A), VIII(A)(T), IX, IX(A), IX(A)(T) engaged on non-international voyages. It also applies to ships of Classes XI and XII of all construction dates and engaged on either international or non-international voyages.
Chapter II-2 applies to ships constructed on or after 1st July 2012, but some provisions in Chapter II-2 also apply to ships constructed before 1st July 2012. Except for ships of Classes XI and XII, a ship constructed before 1st July 2012 must still comply with a provision of Parts B, C, D, E and G of Chapter II-2 that is stated to apply to all ships.
Source: MCA.