The meeting was opened by the Chairman of the Sub-committee (SC), Mr. Claudio Abbate (UNI/Italy). The Chairman thanked the delegates for their participation and expressed his confidence that the SC would continue its excellent work developing standards in support of IMO and the marine industry. The Chairman also thanked the Japan Marine Standards Association (JMSA) and the National Maritime Research Institute (NMRI) for sponsoring and supporting the meeting.

　

　

6 P-members, 2 class A liaison organizations, and numerous observers from industry attended the meeting. The list of official delegates, including liaisons and observers, is attached at Annex as document 1 N 147/Rev. 2. Apologies were received from Mr. Aat Alessie (NEN); Mr. David Mills (Datrex Inc., USA); and Mr. Pertti Haatainen (Finland), who nevertheless provided comments on the proposed standard for shipboard signage by e-mail.

　

　

The drafting committee for preparation of resolutions was appointed by the following resolution:

　

　

Mr. C. Abbate and Mr. K. J. Heinz. In keeping with ISO/TC 8 policy, resolutions will be prepared in English only.

　

　

1 N 138 - Draft agenda

　

After some discussion, the draft agenda was adopted as the final agenda with the addition of new items 5bis Identification of liaisons, 8.9 Aerosol fire extinguishing systems, and 8.10 Plans for fire protection - Indication of fire rating by divisions.

　

　

The Secretary summarized the work of the SC since its last plenary meeting in Copenhagen in April 2001, and the status of all open projects and the action to be taken.

　

Over the last year, we have completed several new standards. ISO 15738 Gas inflation systems for inflatable life-saving appliances and ISO 17631 Shipboard plans for fire protection, life-saving appliances, and means of escape have already been published, and ISO 17339 Sea anchors for survival craft and rescue boats is currently being processed for publication by ISO via the proof publication procedure. ISO 17631 was innovative in that it includes a CD-ROM with an electronic version of the standard and symbols, and has already been implemented by our customer, IMO, in the form of a draft MSC Circular prepared at the last session of the IMO Fire Protection Sub-Committee. The DE Sub-Committee was also made aware of this standard at its meeting last month, and was informed of our related work with regard to shipboard signage.

　

We have recently balloted and officially approved and registered with ISO/CS five new projects on which we had already begun work: Shipboard signage (ISO/AWI 24409), Production testing of position-indicating lights (ISO/AWI 24408), amendment of ISO 7061, Shipboard breathing apparatus (ISO/AWI 23269-1 through -4), and Thermal protective aids (ISO/AWI 24432).

　

We have several projects pending only editorial/graphical finishing touches prior to final submission to ISO/CS for processing. The amendment to ISO 799 Pilot ladders, which was held in abeyance pending a decision by the IMO MSC on a proposed change to the IMO requirements, may now proceed, since the proposal in question was rejected. The related amendment to ISO 5489 Embarkation ladders may proceed to circulation as a Committee Draft since the technical issues related to ISO 799 were resolved. ISO 16848 Pilot accommodation ladders is essentially complete, requiring only some refinements to the figures to comply with ISO's preferences.

　

At our last meeting, we noted that CEN/TC 191 was developing a standard for aerosol fire extinguishing systems, possibly in concert with ISO/TC 21 under the Vienna Agreement, and that our parent committee chairman Capt. Piersall had asked us to consider whether there is a need for an ISO standard for shipboard aerosol systems to supplement the IMO MSC Circular on the subject. He also wants to ensure that if an ISO standard for shipboard aerosol systems is needed, that it is prepared by TC 8 as the single ISO link to IMO. We were unable to make any progress on the matter at the Copenhagen meeting since there were no relevant experts in attendance. Capt. Piersall subsequently invited Mr. Don Murray of Ansul/Tyco, a major manufacturer of these systems, to attend our Tokyo meeting to provide the much-needed expertise to assist us in considering our options with regard to development of standards for shipboard aerosol systems.

　

Using the attendance list and current email contact information collected at this meeting, the Secretary will shortly be assigning all members to appropriate user groups on the ISO Livelink server, to facilitate electronic access and exchange of documents within the Sub-committee. The Secretary will also make available technical guidance as needed to familiarize members with the use of the system.

　

　

The Sub-committee considered a proposal by Mr. Koichi Yoshida, circulated prior to the meeting via e-mail, to establish liaison with TC 92 in order to share expertise in fire safety technology and science. In this regard, he informed the Sub-committee that the chairman of TC 92/SC 1, Mr. Bjrn Sundstrm of Sweden (SP, Bors, Sweden), may be designated as liaison officer from the TC 92 side, and informed the Sub-committee of the upcoming TC 92/SC 1 meeting scheduled to be held in Copenhagen in late October 2002. After some discussion, the Sub-committee approved the proposed liaison, with the Sub-committee Secretary Mr. Kurt Heinz tentatively assigned as the liaison officer from the TC 8/SC 1 side, subject to further approval at the TC level.

　

The Sub-committee then considered a proposal by Mr. John Creak, liaison officer for TC 145/SC 2, to establish a liaison between TC 8/SC 1 and TC 145/SC 2, with himself as the proposed liaison officer from the TC 145 side (subject to TC 145 approval). The proposal noted the commonality of work between the two Sub-committees, and the need under ISO Directives to coordinate development of graphical symbols with TC 145 in any case. After some discussion, the Sub-committee approved the proposed liaison, with Mr. Giovanni Delise tentatively assigned as the liaison officer from the TC 8 side, subject to approval by TC 8. In the course of discussion, the Sub-committee also agreed that the need for closer coordination with TC 10 with regard to registration of the symbols used in plans should be further investigated.

　

Accordingly, the Sub-committee approved the following resolution:

　

　

　

　

The Conveners of the two working groups briefed the Sub-committee on the progress of their respective groups since the last plenary session, at intersessional meetings in New Orleans (WG1: 2001-11-29/30) and Genoa (WG3: 2001-10-30/31), and at their meetings held the day prior to the plenary meeting (Wednesday 2002-04-17).　

　

The WG1 convener noted that at its New Orleans meeting, the WG completed preparation of a working draft of a standard for production testing of position-indicating lights, which has since been approved and registered with ISO. The group also discussed at length the possible structure for a consolidated standard to address all types of survival equipment carried in survival craft and rescue boats, and ultimately decided to model the initial working draft after a U.S. document, NVIC 2-92. The U.S. offered to develop a working draft for consideration as the basis for an appropriate new work item proposal. Finally, the group discussed a working draft amendment to ISO 7061, to encompass ISO 5488 and ISO 7061, and agreed to circulate the document under cover of an appropriate new work item proposal which has since been approved.

　

At its Tokyo meeting on 17 April, the group considered the comments submitted with regard to the working draft amendment of ISO 7061 circulated with the new work item proposal. The group decided to move the references to the figures from the Scope clause into the body of the document to better integrate the figures with the standard, and to add a new Fig. 4 to address accommodation ladders used for pedestrian access. The group decided to change the step distance in 6.6.3 to 350 mm max. in accordance with Japanese Industrial Standard JIS F2621. The group did not agree that formal quality system registration is necessary, considering that if the standard is sufficient and the designer's and manufacturer's quality control systems are adequate to ensure compliance with the standard, then the result should be satisfactory and formal registration will not add value. On the basis of comments from Japanese shipbuilders, who noted that access equipment of the type specified in the standard - but manufactured of mild steel - has been in wide and successful use on Japanese ships for some time, the WG agreed that construction standards and processes for mild steel are sufficiently mature that mild steel construction can be considered to be a suitable alternative to Aluminium without any need for additional testing. The group agreed to investigate suitable normative references for steel construction, with a view to revising the draft in the future to include specific guidance for mild steel construction as an alternative to Aluminium. Finally, the group agreed to circulate the document as a Committee Draft for further comments, to include solicitation of proposals to integrate suitable provisions for mild steel construction into the document.

　

The group reviewed the extensive comments received with the ballots on the new work item proposal for ISO/WD 24408 Production testing of position-indicating lights. The group resolved all of the comments, with detailed observations documented on the ISO comment template form. The WG agreed that the appropriately revised draft should be circulated as a Committee Draft.

　

At its Genoa meeting, WG 3 completed development of a Committee Draft for the firefighters' outfits standard (ISO/WD 22488), which has since been formally circulated for ballot. The group also completed a working draft of a four-part standard to address various types of breathing apparatus used on ships, which was circulated among the members for discussion at the Tokyo meeting. The group reviewed a draft new work item proposal for shipboard emergency signage, to harmonize to the extent possible with ISO 15370 and ISO 17631, and agreed to circulate it for balloting, which has since been successfully completed and the new work item registered with ISO. Finally, the group reviewed IMO documents MSC 74/21/6 and FP 46/12, with a view to considering the need for new work items in support of the new IMO Fire Safety Standards Code.

　

The WG decided that in view of its heavy workload, for the time being it would continue to monitor developments and priorities at IMO, and evaluate the need for new work items as resources permit.

　

At its Wednesday Tokyo meeting, the group finished review of the comments received on ISO/CD 22488, and decided to proceed to circulation of a second Committee Draft. The group discussed in general the comments of some members concerning how to reconcile the new standard with current CEN requirements, and ultimately decided that the ISO approach is preferable, and that the ultimate goal should be adoption of the standard by IMO, which would force CEN to eventually follow. The group decided that the Sub-committee should send a letter to DS and to DIN, informing them of the chosen course of action, and of the intent of the Sub-committee with regard to coordination with CEN requirements.

　

The group briefly reviewed the draft of ISO/DIS 17338, and assigned a task group to complete preparation of the graphics necessary for submission of the document to ISO for formal DIS ballot.

　

After a brief discussion, the Sub-committee assigned each working group terms of reference based on their respective reports, and the status of their respective work program items. As was agreed at the 2000 Washington meeting, WG 1 and WG 2 continued to meet jointly. The Chairman then adjourned the plenary session so the ad hoc working groups could continue development of the draft standards.

　

　

After the plenary session resumed, each working group Convener presented their respective report of their progress at this meeting. The Sub-committee discussed the progress of each draft standard under development.