FSS Code 2026 Edition — available from Dandy Booksellers Australia

If your ship falls under SOLAS, the fire safety systems on board are not a matter of preference. They must meet the detailed technical standards set out in the International Code for Fire Safety Systems, known as the FSS Code. The 2026 Edition is the current reference, and it reflects the fire-safety changes that took effect on 1 January 2026. Here is what the Code covers, who needs a copy, and what has changed.

What the FSS Code Actually Is

The FSS Code is published by the International Maritime Organization. It sets out the engineering specifications for the fire protection systems that SOLAS Chapter II-2 requires ships to carry. SOLAS Chapter II-2 says what a ship must have. The FSS Code says exactly how each system must be built and how it must perform.

The Code was adopted by IMO Resolution MSC.98(73) and became mandatory under the revised SOLAS Chapter II-2 from 1 July 2002.^{[ 2 ]} It applies to ships built on or after that date, with later amendments extending some requirements to existing ships. Because it is tied directly to SOLAS, compliance is not optional for vessels the Convention covers.^{[ 1 ]}

What the 2026 Edition Covers

The FSS Code is organised into chapters, each dealing with one type of system. The main systems covered are:

• International shore connections
• Personnel protection, including breathing apparatus and fire-fighter outfits
• Fire extinguishers
• Fixed gas fire-extinguishing systems
• Fixed foam fire-extinguishing systems
• Fixed pressure water-spraying and water-mist systems
• Fixed fire detection and fire alarm systems
• Automatic sprinkler, fire detection and fire alarm systems
• Sample extraction smoke detection systems
• Low-location lighting
• Fixed emergency fire pumps
• Arrangement of means of escape
• Fixed deck foam systems
• Inert gas systems
• Fixed hydrocarbon gas detection systems

The 2026 Edition also includes the IMO resolutions and circulars relevant to the Code, along with the unified interpretations approved by the Maritime Safety Committee since 2004.^{[ 5 ]}

What Changed for 2026

On 1 January 2026, a set of amendments to SOLAS Chapter II-2 and its associated codes came into force. The most widely discussed is the prohibition on fire-extinguishing media containing perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), adopted by resolution MSC.532(107). From that date, PFOS-based firefighting foams cannot be used or stored on board.^{[ 3 ]}

Other changes include new requirements for confirming the flashpoint of fuel oils, new fire detection requirements on cargo ships, and stronger fire detection, containment and suppression requirements on roll-on/roll-off passenger ships.^{[ 4 ]} The 2026 Edition brings the published FSS Code into line with the wider SOLAS Chapter II-2 fire-safety regime in force from that date. Some of these changes, such as the PFOS ban, sit in the SOLAS regulations themselves rather than in the FSS Code chapters, so operators should hold current copies of both.

Who Needs the FSS Code On Board

The FSS Code is a working reference for anyone who designs, approves, operates or maintains a ship’s fire safety systems, including:

• Ship operators and managers of SOLAS vessels
• Masters and officers responsible for fire safety on board
• Shipbuilders and naval architects designing fire safety systems
• Classification societies and flag State surveyors
• Fire safety equipment manufacturers and service providers
• Maritime training providers

Anyone confirming that a system meets SOLAS needs the exact specifications, and those live in the FSS Code, not in SOLAS itself.

The FSS Code works hand in hand with SOLAS. For background on the parent convention, see our guide to the SOLAS Consolidated Edition 2024.

Ships carrying dangerous goods have further fire-protection duties under SOLAS Chapter II-2 and the IMDG Code. See our guide to the IMDG Code 2024.

Print or Digital

The 2026 Edition is supplied as a digital e-reader edition, accessed through the IMO e-Publications platform. A download link is emailed after purchase, usually within a couple of hours during business hours. Digital is the fast option when you need the current specifications to a deadline. The FSS Code 2026 Edition is available from Dandy Booksellers Australia.

→ Buy the FSS Code 2026 Edition from Dandy Booksellers