Maritime
Goal-based verification heralds new era
for ship construction rules
I
MO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC)
has confirmed that ship construction
rules for oil tankers and bulk carriers
submitted by 12 classification societies
conform to the goals and functional
requirements set by the Organization for
new oil tankers and bulk carriers.
This marks a significant new development in
how international standards for ship construction
are determined and implemented. For the first
time, IMO has been given a role in auditing and
verifying the structural rules developed by the
classification societies for new-build oil tankers
and bulk carriers.
The philosophy behind goal-based standards for
bulk carriers and oil tankers is that ships should be
designed and constructed for a specified design
life and that, if properly operated and maintained,
they should remain safe and environmentally
friendly throughout their service life.
Regulation II-1/3-10 of the International
Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)
applies the above philosophy to new oil tankers
and bulk carriers over 150 meters in length. Under
the regulation, such ships must have adequate
strength, integrity and stability to minimize the
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risk of loss of the ship or pollution to the marine
environment due to structural failure, including
collapse, resulting in flooding or loss of watertight
integrity.
The MSC reviewed goal-based standards
verification audit reports on 12 Recognized
Organizations (ROs) which are members of the
International Association of Classification Societies
(IACS). The audits were carried out by teams of
experts nominated by IMO Member States.
The Committee confirmed that the 12 ROs’
ship construction rules were in conformity with
the goals and functional requirements set out in
the International goal-based ship construction
standards for bulk carriers and oil tankers. The MSC
also confirmed that ships contracted under the
current verified rules are deemed to meet the GBS
Standards.
The goal-based standards amendments in
SOLAS regulation II-1/3-10 were adopted in 2010
and entered into force in 2012, with a date of 1
July 2016 set for application to new oil tankers and
bulk carriers.
IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said the
verification process which had now been
completed was a significant step for IMO, since