MSC Circ. 808
MSC Circ. 808
4 ALBERT EMBANKMENT
LONDON SE1 7SR
Telephone: 020 7735 7611
Fax:
020 7587 3210
Telex:
23588 IMOLDN G
E
IMO
MSC/Circ.808
30 June 1997
Ref. T1/3.02
RECOMMENDATION ON PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR PUBLIC ADDRESS
SYSTEMS ON PASSENGER SHIPS, INCLUDING CABLING
1
The Maritime Safety Committee, at its sixty-eighth session (28 May to 6 June 1997), noted that
the 1995 SOLAS Conference, in adopting amendments to the 1974 SOLAS Convention concerning the
safety of ro-ro passenger ships, adopted Conference resolution 7 - Development of requirements,
guidelines and performance standards, whereby the Committee was requested to develop relevant
requirements, guidelines and performance standards to assist in the implementation of the amendments
adopted by the Conference.
2
The Committee, having considered recommendations made by the Sub-Committee on Ship Design
and Equipment (DE), at its fortieth session, approved the Recommendation on performance standards for
public address systems on passenger ships, including cabling, set out in the annex.
3
Member Governments are invited to bring the annexed Recommendation to the attention of those
concerned and use the provisions contained therein, as appropriate, in conjunction with the relevant
requirements of the 1974 SOLAS Convention, as amended.
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MSC/Circ.808
ANNEX
Application
These performance standards should apply to public address systems required by SOLAS
regulation III/6.5.
2
2.1
The public address system should be one complete system consisting of a loudspeaker installation
which enables simultaneous broadcast of messages from the navigation bridge, and at least one other
location on board for use when the navigation bridge has been rendered unavailable due to the emergency,
to all spaces where crew members or passengers, or both are normally present and to assembly stations
(i.e. muster stations). The controls of the system on the navigation bridge should be capable of
interrupting any broadcast on the system from any other location on board. It should not require any
action by the addressee. It should also be possible to address crew accommodation and work spaces
separately from passenger spaces.
2.2
In addition to any function provided for routine use aboard the ship, the system should have an
emergency function control at each control station which:
.1
.2
.3
.4
automatically overrides all volume controls and on/off controls so that the required
volume for the emergency mode is achieved in all spaces.
2.3
The system should be installed with regard to acoustically marginal conditions, so that emergency
announcements are clearly audible above ambient noise in all spaces where crew members or passengers
or both are normally present and to assembly stations (i.e. muster stations). With the ship underway in
normal conditions, the minimum sound pressure levels for broadcasting emergency announcements should
be:
2.4
.1
in interior spaces 75 dB(A) and at least 20 dB(A) above the speech interference level; and
.2
in exterior spaces 80 dB(A) and at least 15 dB(A) above the speech interference level.
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ANNEX
Page 2
2.5
The system should be arranged to minimize the effect of a single failure, e.g. by the use of
multiple amplifiers with segregated cable routes. The public address systems should have at least two
loops of flame retardant cable which should be sufficiently separated throughout their length and have two
separate and independent amplifiers.
2.6
2.7
The public address system should be arranged to operate on the main source of electrical power,
the emergency source of electrical power and transitional sources of electrical power as required by
SOLAS chapter II-1.
2.8
The space containing a control unit of the public address system is a control station as defined in
SOLAS chapter II-2.
3
3.1
Cables and wiring serving internal communications or signals should, as far as practicable, be
routed clear of galleys, laundries, machinery spaces of category A and their casings and other high fire
risk areas unless serving those spaces. Where practicable, all such cables should be run in such a manner
so as to preclude their being rendered unserviceable by heating of the bulkheads that may be caused by a
fire in an adjacent space. All areas of each fire zone should be served by at least two dedicated loops
sufficiently separated throughout their length and supplied by independent amplifiers.
3.2
Equipment associated with the public address systems should meet the requirements for a
vibration and electromagnetic interference in the current edition of publication 533 or publication 945 of
IEC, as appropriate. Electrically powered systems should provide a minimum degree of ingress protection
appropriate to the location, in accordance with IEC 92-101 standard.
3.3
Relevant sections of the Code on Alarms and Indicators should also be applied.
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