IMO News
Cruise ship passenger
drill requirements come
into force on 1 January ‘15
From 1 January 2015, passengers must undergo safety
drills, including mustering at the lifeboat stations, before
the ship departs or immediately on departure.
N
ew requirements for musters of newly
embarked passengers prior to or
immediately upon departure come into
force on 1 January 2015.
Further SOLAS amendments entering
into force address enclosed-space
entry and rescue drills and the code for recognized
organizations.
PASSENGER MUSTER
The amended regulation III/19 in the International
Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea was adopted in
2013 in the wake of the Costa Concordia incident, to
ensure that passengers undergo safety drills, including
mustering at the lifeboat stations, before the ship
departs or immediately on departure.
Previously, the requirement was for the muster
of passengers to take place within 24 hours of their
embarkation.
ENCLOSED-SPACE ENTRY AND RESCUE DRILLS
An amendment to SOLAS regulation III/19, on
emergency training and drills, makes mandatory the
carrying out of enclosed-space entry and rescue drills,
which will require crew members with enclosed-space
entry or rescue responsibilities to participate in an
enclosed-space entry and rescue drill at least once every
two months.
The International Code of Safety for High-Speed
Craft (HSC Code), the Code for the Construction
and Equipment of Mobile Offshore Drilling Units
(MODU Code) and the Code of Safety for Dynamically
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Supported Craft (DSC Code) have been similarly
amended.
The aim of the amendments is to try and reduce
the fatalities which might occur if crew enter enclosed
spaces without adequate training or protection.
CODE FOR RECOGNIZED ORGANIZATIONS
The Code for recognized organizations (RO Code)
becomes mandatory, on 1 January 2015, under SOLAS,
MARPOL and the Protocol of 1988 relating to the
International Convention on Load Lines, 1966.
Administrations (flag States) may delegate certain
responsibilities for surveying and certification of ships
to “recognized organizations” (often the classification
societies), which can act on behalf of the flag State.
The RO Code provides flag States with standards
mechanisms for the oversight, assessment and
authorization of recognized organizations (ROs) and
clarifies the responsibilities of such organizations.
The aim of the amendments is to
try and The fatalities which might
occur if crew enter enclosed spaces
without adequate training or
protection.