Circular

1 The Maritime Safety Committee, at its sixty-fourth session (5 to 9 December 1994), agreed that there was a need to provide Administrations with guidelines regarding the provisions of SOLAS regulation II-2/10 concerning exemptions from the requirements for fire-extinguishing systems.

2 Consequently, the Committee approved MSC/Circ.671 whereby it agreed to:

.1 a list of solid bulk cargoes, for which a fixed gas fire-extinguishing system may be exempted (table 1) and recommended Member States to take into account the information contained in table 1 when granting exemptions under the provisions of SOLAS regulation II-2/10.7.1.4; and
.2 a list of solid bulk cargoes for which a fixed gas fire-extinguishing system is ineffective (table 2), and recommended that cargo spaces in a ship engaged in the carriage of cargoes listed in table 2 be provided with a fire-extinguishing system which provides equivalent protection. The Committee also agreed that Administrations should take account of the provisions of SOLAS regulation II 2/19.3.1 when determining suitable requirements for an equivalent fire-extinguishing system.

3 The Maritime Safety Committee, at its seventy-ninth session (1 to 10 December 2004), reviewed the above-mentioned tables and approved MSC.1/Circ.1146. The Committee decided that the annexed tables should be periodically reviewed and invited Member Governments to provide the Organization, when granting exemptions to ships for the carriage of cargoes not included in table 1, with data on the non-combustibility or fire risk properties of such cargoes. Member Governments were also requested to provide the Organization, when equivalent fire extinguishing systems are required for the agreed carriage of cargoes not included in table 2, with data on the inefficiency of fixed gas fire-extinguishing systems for such cargoes.

4 The Maritime Safety Committee, at its eighty-ninth session (11 to 20 May 2011), noting the mandatory status of the IMSBC Code, reviewed the aforementioned lists of solid bulk cargoes to align certain names in the lists with those in the recent version of the IMDG Code and approved MSC/Circ.1395 on Lists of solid bulk cargoes for which a fixed gas fire-extinguishing system may be exempted or for which a fixed gas fire-extinguishing system is ineffective, superseding MSC.1/Circ.1146. The Maritime Safety Committee, at its ninety-second session (12 to 21 June 2013), approved a revision to MSC.1/Circ.1395.

5 The Maritime Safety Committee, at its ninety-fifth session (3 to 12 June 2015), considering the proposal by the Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers, at its first session, approved a revision to MSC.1/Circ.1395/Rev.1, as set out in tables 1 and 2 of the annex.

6 The Maritime Safety Committee, at its ninety-eighth session (7 to 16 June 2017), considering the proposal by the Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers, at its third session, approved a revision to MSC.1/Circ.1395/Rev.2, as set out in tables 1 and 2 of the annex.

7 The purpose of this circular is to provide guidance to Administrations. It should not, however, be considered as precluding Administrations from their right to grant exemptions for cargoes not included in table 1 or to impose any conditions when granting such exemptions under the provisions of SOLAS regulation II-2/10.7.1.4.

8 This circular supersedes MSC.1/Circ.1395/Rev.2.