# The Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection) Regulations (Amendment) Regulations 2003, Note: Explanatory note

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations implement requirements of Chapter II-2 of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea 1974 (“the SOLAS Convention”) as amended by its Protocol of 1988 and by Resolution MSC.99(73) of December 2000 of the Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organisation, and make other amendments to the Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection: Large Ships) Regulations 1998 (S.I. 1998/1012) (“the Large Ships Regulations”) and the Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection: Small Ships) Regulations 1998 (S.I. 1998/1011) (“the Small Ships Regulations”).
The amendments to the Large Ships Regulations, which will apply from the dates mentioned in regulation 3:
(a) impose requirements as to the standards for repairs, alterations, etc. (regulation 4),
(b) require fixed local application fire-fighting systems to be installed in Category A machinery spaces of Class I, II, IIA ships of over 2,000 gross tons (regulation 5),
(c) require emergency escape breathing devices to be installed in passenger ships of Class I, Class II and Class 11A, and other ships of over 500 gross tons (regulation 7),
(d) impose additional requirements as to cargo tank purging and/or gass freeing and as to gas monitoring systems for tankers of over 500 gross tons (regulations 8 and 9),
(e) impose requirements as to deep-fat cooking equipment (regulation 10),
(f) impose requirements as to maintenance plans, training manuals and fire safety operations booklets (regulation 11).
The amendments to the Small Ships Regulations clarify the application of those Regulations as respects the ships referred to in regulations 24 to 29 of those Regulations.
A Regulatory Impact Assessment has been prepared and copies can be obtained from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Spring Place, 105 Commercial Road, Southampton SO15 1EG. A copy has been placed in the Library of each House of Parliament.
Merchant Shipping Notices can be obtained from Mail Marketing (Scotland), Unit 6, Bloomsgrove Industrial Estate, Norton Street, Nottingham NG7 3JG.
The SOLAS Convention, its Protocols and IMO resolutions and circulars can be obtained from the International Maritime Organisation, 4 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7SR.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2003/2951/note (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/merchant-shipping-fire-protection-regulations-amendment-regulations-2003/note
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.