The Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 106) began on November 2, and will last until November 11, with various items on its agenda to be discussed, including the Black Sea Grain Initiative, automation and piracy.
Adoption of Amendments
#1 New mandatory Code for Industrial Personnel: The Committee will be invited to adopt the draft new SOLAS chapter XV and the associated new International Code of Safety for Ships Carrying Industrial Personnel (IP Code), developed by the Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction (SDC 8).
The aim is to provide minimum safety standards for ships that carry industrial personnel, as well as for the personnel themselves, and addresses specific risks of maritime operations within the offshore and energy sectors, such as personnel transfer operations. Such personnel may be engaged in the construction, maintenance, decommissioning, operation or servicing of offshore facilities, such as windfarms, as well as offshore oil and gas installations, aquaculture, ocean mining or similar activities.
#2 SOLAS chapter II-2 in relation to flashpoint: The Committee will be invited to adopt draft amendments to SOLAS chapter II-2, intended to address fire safety risks (including explosion) in relation to fuel oil, ensuring that flashpoint requirements are fully met.
The draft amendments will add new definitions and provisions to SOLAS regulation II-2/4 (Probability of ignition), including requiring that ships carrying oil fuel shall prior to bunkering be provided with a declaration signed and certified by the fuel oil supplier’s representative that the oil fuel supplied is in conformity with regulation SOLAS II.2/4.2.1 and with the test method used for determining the flashpoint.
#3 SOLAS Protocol of 1978: The draft amendments to the 1978 SOLAS Protocol concern the Form of Safety Equipment Certificate for Cargo Ships, ensuring harmonization with the forms of certificates in the appendix (Certificates) to the annex to the 1974 SOLAS Convention, amended by resolution MSC.496(105) for consistency, as a result of the GMDSS modernization.
#4 IGC and IGF Code amendments – high manganese austenitic steel for cryogenic service: The draft amendments to chapter 6 of the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (IGC Code) and to chapter 7 of the International Code of Safety for Ships Using Gases or other Low-flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code) that concern the application of high manganese austenitic steel for cryogenic service in cargo and fuel tanks of LNG carriers and LNG-fuelled ships.
#5 Enhanced Survey Programme amendments: The draft amendments to the International Code on the Enhanced Programme of Inspections during Surveys of Bulk Carriers and Oil Tankers, 2011 (2011 ESP Code) include those relating to extension of inspections where a hard protective coating is found to be in less than GOOD condition.
#6 IBC Code: The draft amendments to the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (IBC Code), relate to survivability and provide exclusions related to those openings fitted with watertight closures for application of the conditions concerning flooding or downflooding.
Black Sea Grain Initiative
The Committee will be updated on the latest developments regarding the operation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The Joint Coordination Centre in Istanbul includes representatives from the United Nations, Ukraine, Russian Federation and Türkiye.
SOLAS chapter XI-2 and the ISPS Code allow ships’ inspections, which form the basis for the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The success to date of the Initiative is making a growing contribution to the critical problem of the alleviation of global food supply shortages resulting from the conflict in Ukraine.
Maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS)
The MSC is expected to make further progress on the development of a goal-based instrument regulating the operation of maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS). This follows the completion of a regulatory scoping exercise. The aim is to adopt a goal-based MASS Code in 2025. The MSC is expected to establish a MASS Working Group to further the work.
The MSC will be updated on the outcome of the first meeting (September 2022) of the Joint MSC/LEG/FAL Working Group on MASS, which was established as a cross-cutting mechanism to address common issues identified by the regulatory scoping exercises for the use of MASS conducted by the Maritime Safety, Legal and Facilitation Committees.
The Joint Working Group developed a table – intended as a living document – to identify preferred options for addressing common issues, such as: role of MASS master and crew; responsibilities of Mass master and crew; competencies required for MASS master and crew; identification and meaning of term “remote operator” and their responsibilities.
A draft work plan was agreed, for approval by the three committees, which envisages the Committees reviewing the report of the first session and agreeing to have a second meeting of the Joint Working Group to be convened in April 2023.
Piracy and armed robbery against ships
The MSC will consider the latest update on global trends relating to piracy and armed robbery against ships.
Figures based on reports submitted to the IMO show that overall ,69 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported to the Organization as having occurred or been attempted in January to June 2022, a decrease of approximately 22% at the global level compared to the same period last year.
However, there has been an increase in the number of incidents in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore with 36 incidents reported in January to June 2022, compared to 27 incidents in the same period last year.
The number of incidents that took place in the Gulf of Guinea decreased to 13 from 27 incidents in the same period last year, thanks to the enforcement agencies of coastal States in the region and ongoing international support.
The number of incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships reported in the South China Sea is nil, compared to 11 incidents in the same period in 2021 – following the downward trend in the area since 2013, when 142 incidents were reported.
No incidents were reported off the coast of Somalia during the reporting period.
Proposals for new work programme outputs
The MSC will consider a number of proposals for new outputs at the session. The proposals include, inter-alia, the following:
- Proposal to amend the FSS Code regulations relating to the system control requirements of fixed gas fire-extinguishing systems.
- Proposal for development of amendments to SOLAS regulation II-2/10.8.1 to provide unified requirements for deck foam systems on tankers of different deadweight.
- Proposal to amend SOLAS regulation V/23 and associated instruments, i.e. resolution A.1045(27) and MSC.1/Circ.1428, to improve the safety of pilot transfer arrangements.
- Proposal to develop guidance to assist competent authorities in the implementation of the Cape Town Agreement of 2012 on fishing vessel safety.
- Proposal to amend SOLAS regulation V/19-1 to allow coastal States to receive LRIT information at the standard transmission rate free of charge.
- Proposal to amend SOLAS chapter II-1 to address the safe operation of elevators and develop non-mandatory guidelines on the design, installation, maintenance, inspection and operation of elevators on board ships.
- Proposal to amend MSC.1/Circ.1331 to address the safety risk to crew when rigging safety netting from the shipʹs deck to the outboard side of an accommodation ladder and/or gangway.
- Proposal to revise the Revised recommendations for entering enclosed spaces aboard ships (resolution A.1050(27)) to ensure the safety of personnel entering enclosed spaces on board ships.
- Proposal to modify the GISIS Maritime Security module to include port facility security level notifications by Contracting Governments, with a view to improving the accuracy of such information for shipping companies and port operators and assisting Contracting Governments and their designated authorities in enhancing the security of port facilities under their authority.
- Proposal to review the appropriateness and effectiveness of SOLAS regulation IV/5 (Provision of radiocommunication service).
