In conjunction with the above standards and listing, the USCG has recognized certain UL approved equipment as complying with these standards; in this regard a 2 page excerpt on Fire Protection Equipment from the USCG Marine Safety Manual (MSM) is provided.
4. Prior to this year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) conducted the inspections of all US. ships, except for those ships operated overseas for extended periods of time when the FCC might authorize the USCG or ABS to conduct ship inspections on a case-by-case basis on behalf of the United States. The Telecommunication Act of 1996 permits the FCC to use designated entities to conduct ship inspections and the FCC is currently drafting rules to implement the use of private sector inspections. In the interim, the FCC still continues to conduct most of the inspections, and it has not authorized a specific entity to conduct the inspections but rather requires the inspection to be conducted by an FCC-licensed technician and for the FCC office to issue the certificate.
5. Generally, for Flag Administration which delegate this function to ABS; the mounting/installation of the GMDSS equipment would be done by the equipment manufacturer/distributor in conjunction with an approved radio technician who would be recognized and report within the ABS quality procedures system and the subsequent attestation provided by the ABS surveyor in conjunction with the issuance of the SOLAS Safety Equipment Certificate.
7. To assist in understanding ABS' type approval program attached are 3 pages of copies of an "ABS Type Approval Flow Chart", an "Request for Equipment Type Approval and Agreement, and an announcement of July 1995 -"ABS authorized by USCG to type approve safety, lifesaving, and pollution-prevention equipment". In addition, ABS also publishes: "List of Type Approved Equipment-1996" (419 pages), and "Approved Welding Comsumables-1996 (169 pages).
8. There is a general trend in USCG regulations away from national regulations to international regulations, the use of classification rules, and international standards. Over the past several years, numerous Regulatory Reform Efforts in the form of proposed or interim regulations effecting existing sections of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) have appeared in the Federal Register. Examples of several recent items are the 20 May 1996-"Interim Rule revising Lifesaving Equipment regulations for US inspected Vessels" and the 4 June 1996 "Interim Rule on electrical Engineering Requirements fro Merchant Vessels."
