April 12, 2010 No. 09/2010 Means for fully …

1 April 12, 2010 No. 09/2010 STATUTORY ALERT Means for fully recharging breathing apparatus air cylinders new SOLAS regulation II-2 APPLICABILITY Shipbuilders, owners and managers INFORMATION Under new SOLAS regulation II-2 (adopted by Resolution (85)), passenger ships carrying more than 36 passengers, constructed (having their keel laid) on or after July 1, 2010, must be fitted with a suitably located Means for fully recharging breathing apparatus air cylinders, free from contamination. The Means for recharging must be either: breathing air compressors supplied from the main and emergency switchboard, or independently driven, with a minimum capacity of 60 litres per minute (l/min) per required breathing apparatus , not to exceed 420 l/min or self-contained high-pressure storage systems of suitable pressure to recharge the breathing apparatus used on board, with a capacity of at least 1,200 litres per required breathing apparatus , not to exceed 50,000 litres of free air.

2 The Means for recharging must be installed by a competent person in accordance with the manufacturer s instructions. Compressors should be installed in accordance with BS EN 529: Respiratory protective devices Recommendations for selection, use, care and maintenance Guidance document or an equivalent national standard. It should be noted that any breathing air compressor should be installed in an enclosed compartment (dedicated solely to this purpose, wherever possible) which in any case should have little or no fire risk, with sufficient space on all sides to ensure good ventilation. The area should be as cool as possible but places where freezing is possible should be avoided, and the air intake should be located in open air and away from potential contaminant release points.

3 The survey requirements will be applied to both new and existing equipment, on all ships provided with breathing air compressors or self-contained high-pressure air storage systems. The systems must be inspected following installation and maintained and tested at periodic intervals to ensure they remain in a suitable condition for their intended purpose according to the manufacturer s instructions. The quality of the air produced by any high-pressure storage system or breathing air compressor should be tested annually by a nationally accredited laboratory, in accordance with BS EN 12021: Respiratory protective devices Compressed air for breathing apparatus or an equivalent national standard.

4 For consistency, all new installations on ships to which this SOLAS regulation does not apply should also follow these criteria. Classification societies will conduct inspections as part of Cargo Ship Safety Equipment and Passenger Ship Safety surveys. Further information Contact: Antonio Prestigiacomo, London Design Support Services T +44 (0)20 7423 1457 F +44 (0)20 7423 1645 E 2010 Lloyd s Register Services are provided by members of the Lloyd s Register Group. Lloyd s Register is an exempt charity under the UK Charities Act 1993.