In light of the Ship Systems and Equipment (SSE 6) meeting conducted by IMO’s Sub-Committee on 4-8 March 2019, the participants agreed to draft interim guidelines on life-saving appliances and arrangements for ships operating in polar waters, to ensure they meet the needs for survival in the harsh and specific conditions in Polar waters.
Mainly, the guidelines consist of specifications of the equipment needed and would require that lifeboats and rescue boats on ships proceeding to latitudes over 80°N should be fitted with a non-magnetic means for determining heading.
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Subsequently, the Sub-Committee agreed to the draft interim guidelines on life-saving appliances for submission to MSC 101, invited proposals regarding options to develop guidelines on how to determine the ‘maximum expected time of rescue’ and agreed proposed terms of reference in re-establishing the correspondence group on life-saving appliances.
In the meantime, the guidelines are intended to support the implementation of the mandatory Polar Code.
IMO’s Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction (SDC 6), which took place on 4-8 February 2019, discussed about draft recommendations for fishing vessels and yachts operating in Polar waters. Generally, the meeting focused on the increased traffic in the Polar waters and the safety of the environment, since the traffic results to the polar environment being sensitive, therefore polluted.
In light of operating in Polar waters, the STCW has been amended with a new regulation V/4 , according to which, two main trainings are defined: the basic and the advance training, to ensure the crews’ safety and knowledge when sailing in Polar waters.
