Tag: SOLAS

Approved changes to the Convention will enter into force in July 2016 The Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has approved changes to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention that will require verification of containerweights as a condition for loading packed export containers aboard ships. Misdeclared container weightshave been a long-standing problem for the transportation industry and for governments as they presentsafety hazards for ships, their crews, and other cargo on board, workers in the port facilities handlingcontainers, and on roads. Misdeclaration of container weights also gives rise to Customs concerns.The approved changes to the Convention will enter into force in July 2016 upon final adoption by theMSC in November 2014. In order to assist supply chain participants' and SOLAS Contracting Governments'implementation of the container weight verification requirement, MSC also issued a MSC Circular withimplementation guidelines.The MSC has also approved a new Code of Practice for the Packing of Cargo Transport Units (CTUs),including intermodal shipping containers. The new CTU Code, which will replace the current IMO/ILO/UNECEGuidelines for packing of CTU, has already been approved by the UNECE (United Nations EconomicCommission for Europe) and will now go to the ILO (international Labour organization) for approval. ...

The 2014 amendments to SOLAS and the Fire Safety Systems (FSS) Code adopted by IMO Resolutions MSC.338(91) and MSC.339(91) will enter into force on 1 July, 2014,

IMO's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) will meet at the Organization's London headquarters for its 93rd session, from 14 to 23 May 2014.

IMO MSC 93 to be held from 14 to 23 May 2014 IMO's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) meets at the Organization's London headquarters for its 93rd session, from 14 to 23 May 2014. The MSC is expected to adopt amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) related to lifeboat safety; continue its action plan of work on passenger ship safety, following the Costa Concordia incident; review the draft mandatory Polar Code and related draft SOLAS amendments; adopt amendments to SOLAS and other treaties to make mandatory the IMO Member State Audit Scheme; adopt a number of other important amendments; and consider items submitted by the sub-committees.Lifeboat safety: SOLAS amendments set to be adoptedThe MSC is expected to adopt draft amendments to SOLAS chapter III to make mandatory the Requirements for periodic servicing and maintenance of lifeboats and rescue boats, launching appliances and release gear, which are also expected to be adopted at the session. The MSC is also expected to approve a related draft MSC circular on Guidelines on safety during abandon ship drills using lifeboats, providing additional recommendatory provisions.The package of mandatory and recommendatory measures follows work by IMO to review recommendations previously ...

Speaking at a joint informal meeting of key industry bodies on 7th April, ICHCA's Technical Director Richard Brough addressed the hazards of ships' lifting appliances

RMI issues Safety Notice re Fire Detection Method IC

ClassNK has issued Technical Information TEC-0984 regarding helicopter facilities onboard ships sailing in Australian waters.

During MEPC 66th Session, IMO agreed which ships are to be covered by the future environmental regulations for voyages in polar areas.

Implementation of new SOLAS Regulation on release hooks

According to Braemar SA "Lessons are still not being learned when it comes to preventing engine room fires." This is the message from Graeme Temple, Regional Director for Braemar SA's Far East operations, following a review of incidents taking place in 2013."Last year we attended a significant number of engine-room fires - the industry is still experiencing far too many unnecessary casualties where flammable liquids in engine rooms are finding their way onto hot spots,"he says."On many of the vessels I visit, these hot spots are only too easy to find, with thermal imaging photographs readily identifying these defects".Yet despite all the attention Class aims at fire prevention and protection design, potential problems must be detected earlier to ensure a fast and efficient first response. A crew has only limited resources available and time to prevent any problem escalating.At any one time in a modern engine room there can be thousands of litres of flammable liquids circulating inside the pipe systems. Aside from the obvious risk to life, a ship fire is inevitably a very expensive, time consuming, property repair. Heat damage, firefighting effort damage, acid residues from burnt plastics, soot cleaning and painting all add up, leaving a cost ...