4.2.1 A general emergency alarm system shall be
provided. The alarm shall be audible throughout all the public spaces,
corridors and stairways, crew accommodation and normal crew working
spaces and open decks, and the sound pressure level shall be at least
10 dB(A) above ambient noise levels under way in normal cruise operation.
The alarm shall continue to function after it has been triggered until
it is normally turned off or is temporarily interrupted by a message
on the public address system.
4.2.2 There shall be a public address system covering
all areas where passengers and crew have access, escape routes, and
places of embarkation into survival craft. The system shall be such
that flooding or fire in any compartment does not render other parts
of the system inoperable. The public address system and its performance
standards shall be approved by the Administration having regard to
the recommendations developed by the Organization. footnote
4.2.3 All passenger craft shall be equipped with
illuminated or luminous notices or video information system(s) visible
to all sitting passengers, in order to notify them of safety measures.
4.2.4 The master shall, by means of the public
address system and the visual information system, be able to request
passengers "please be seated" when found to be appropriate to safeguard
passengers and always when the safety level 1 according to table 1 of annex 3 is exceeded.