Q:- What are the major amendments to SOLAS which have entered into force in 2015.

Briefly discuss any five of them.

1 January 2015: Code for Recognized Organizations :-Code for recognised organisations (RO Code) becomes mandatory
under SOLAS, MARPOL and Protocol of 1988 relating to the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966.
1 January 2015: Entry into force of 2013 May SOLAS amendments Amendments to the following:
- SOLAS regulation III/19 to require musters of newly embarked passengers prior to or immediately upon departure;
 SOLAS regulation III/19, on emergency training and drills, to mandate 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.
 Related amendments also to 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 Supported Craft (DSC Code).
-Amendment to ISM code
-SOLAS CH V Reg 19, para 2.10 entry into force :-01/07/2015 ,ship type Tankers ≥3,000 gt

1. Code for Recognised Organizations (RO Code)(entering into force on01.01.2015)

SOLAS Chapter XI-1 has been updated to make the newly adopted Code for Recognised Organisations mandatory.
All amendments adopted to the RO Code will also be deemed mandatory.
“The Code serves as the international standard and consolidated instrument containing minimum criteria against which organisations are
assessed towards recognition and authorisation and the guidelines for the oversight by flag States.”
It comprised three parts:
1) General – including communication of information, scope of the code and delegation of authority.
2) Recognition and authorisation requirements for organisations – including management, resources, performance measurement and quality
management systems.
3) Oversight of recognised organisations – including principles of auditing and how to establish and manage an oversight programme.

2. Safety instructions for passengers(entering into force on01.01.2015)

(SOLAS Ch III Regulation 19 – Emergency training and drills )
The time when muster of passengers according to SOLAS III, Reg. 19.2.2 shall be
carried out will be harmonised with the time of passengers´ safety briefing according
to SOLAS III, Reg. 19.2.3. Musters shall be carried out before departure or immediately
after departure.
require musters of newly embarked passengers prior to or immediately upon departure;
Ships carrying passengers that are to be on board for more than 24 hours must take musters of newly-embarked passengers ‘prior to or
immediately upon departure’. Passengers must be instructed in the use of life-jackets and on what action to take in the event of an
emergency. Passenger safety briefings must also be given prior to or immediately after departure. This must be made by announcement on
the ship’s public address system or equivalent means and may be supplemented by information cards, posters or video programmes.

3.Enclosed space entry and rescue drills

(SOLAS Ch III Regulation 19 – Emergency training and drills )
According to SOLAS III, Reg. 19.3.3 ‘crew members with enclosed space entry and
rescue responsibilities shall participate in corresponding safety drills at least once
every two months’.
Enclosed space entry and rescue drills should be planned and conducted considering
the recommendations provided by the IMO (Resolution A.1050(27) Revised Recommendations
for entering enclosed spaces aboard ships).

These must include the following:

“.1 checking and use of personal protective equipment required for entry;
.2 checking and use of communication equipment and procedures;
.3 checking and use of instruments for measuring the atmosphere in enclosed spaces;
.4 checking and use of rescue equipment and procedures; and
.5 instructions in first aid and resuscitation techniques.”

Every crew member shall be instructed about risks associated with entering enclosed
spaces and applicable procedures on board. The instruction shall be given within the
regular intervals of instructions in the use of the ship's life-saving and fire extinguishing
appliances every two months (SOLAS III, Reg. 19.4.2.5 in conjunction with Reg. 19.4.1).
Drills shall be recorded in the ship's log-book.
Note :- Related amendments also to 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 Supported Craft (DSC Code).

4. Amendments to the ISM-Code

1. According to paragraph 6.2 of the ISM-Code the company is required to ensure that
the ship is appropriately manned in all situations of ship operation (cf. Principles of
minimum safe manning, Resolution A.1047(27)):

"6.2 The Company should ensure that each ship is:

.1 manned with qualified, certificated and medically fit seafarers in accordance

with national and international requirements; and
.2 appropriately manned in order to encompass all aspects of maintaining safe
operations on board."

2. According to new paragraph 12.2 the responsible company is obliged to verify in regular
intervals whether third parties which undertake ISM-related tasks act in conformity
with the company's safety management system:

"12.2 The Company should periodically verify whether all those undertaking delegated
ISM-related tasks are acting in conformity with the Company's responsibilities under
the Code."
In the ISM-Code, reference to guidelines and recommendations developed by the IMO
will be added in footnotes

5. SOLAS CH V Reg 19, para 2.10 entry into force :-01/07/2015

ship type Tankers ≥3,000 gt

summary of regulation

This resolution requires that “tankers of 3,000 gross tonnage and upwards constructed before 1 July 2012, not later than the first survey* on
or after 1 July 2015” must be fitted with ECDIS if they are engaged on international voyages.

Electronics chart display and information system.

Q:- What are the major amendments to SOLAS which have entered into force in 2014. Briefly discuss any five of them.

Answer
1 January 2014: Entry into force of May2012 SOLAS amendments .
1. amendment to SOLAS regulation II-1/8-1, to introduce a mandatory requirement for new passenger ships for
eitheronboard stability computers or shore-based support, for the purpose of providing operational information to the Master for
safe return to port after a flooding casualty;
2. amendment to SOLAS regulation III/20.11.2 regarding the testing of free-fall lifeboats, to require that the operational
testing of free-fall lifeboat release systems shall be performed either by free-fall launch with only the operating crew on board or by
a simulated launching;
3. amendment to SOLAS chapter V to add a new regulation V/14 on ships' manning, to require Administrations, for every
ship, to establish appropriate minimum safe manning levels following a transparent procedure, taking into account the guidance
 adopted by IMO (Assembly resolution A.1047(27) on Principles of minimum safe manning); and issue an appropriate minimum
safe manning document or equivalent as evidence of the minimum safe manning considered necessary;
4. amendment to SOLAS chapter VI to add a new regulation VI/5-2,to prohibit the blending of bulk liquid cargoes during
the sea voyage and to prohibit production processes on board ships;
5. amendment to SOLAS chapter VII to replace regulation 4 on documents, covering transport information relating to the
carriage of dangerous goods in packaged form and the container/vehicle packing certificate; and
6. amendment to SOLAS regulation XI-1/2 on enhanced surveys, to make mandatory the International Code on the
Enhanced Programme of Inspections during Surveys of Bulk Carriers and Oil Tankers, 2011 (2011 ESP Code, resolution
A.1049(27)).

1 July 2014: Entry into force of November 2012 SOLAS amendments

1. Reducing on-board noise:- entering into force on 1 July 2014 is the new SOLAS regulation II-1/3-12, which
requires new ships to be constructed to reduce on-board noise and to protect personnel from noise, in accordance with the revised
Code on noise levels on board ships, which sets out mandatory maximum noise level limits for machinery spaces, control rooms,
workshops, accommodation and other spaces on board ships.
2. Recovery of persons from the water :-Amendments to SOLAS regulation III/17-1 to require ships to have plans and
procedures to recover persons from the water, as well as related Guidelines for development of plans and procedures for recovery
of persons from the water. Also, a related MSC resolution on Implementation of SOLAS regulation III/17-1 to ships to which
SOLAS chapter III does not apply;
3. Fire-fighter communication on-board:-Amendments to SOLAS regulation II-2/10 on fire fighting enter into force on 1
July 2014, to require a minimum of two two-way portable radiotelephone apparatus for each fire party for fire fighters’
communication to be carried. The apparatus shall be of an explosion-proof type or intrinsically safe. Ships constructed before 1
July 2014 shall comply with the above requirements not later than the first survey after 1 July 2018.
4. Instructions, on-board training and drills:-amendments to regulation II-2/15 on instructions, on-board
training and drills require an on-board means of recharging breathing apparatus cylinders used during drills, or a suitable number
of spare cylinders.
5. Protection of vehicle, special category and ro-ro spaces ,Another amendment to regulation II-2/20 on protection of
vehicle, special category and ro-ro spaces related to fixed fire-extinguishing systems, updates the requirements. The
amendments apply to ships constructed on or after 1 July 2014. Ships constructed before 1 July 2014 shall comply with the
previously applicable requirements.
6. Forms of certificates and records of equipment:-Other amendments to the appendix to the annex to the SOLAS
Convention replace all forms of certificates and records of equipment, including its 1988 Protocol, and further amendments relate
to the forms of the Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate and Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate of its 1978 Protocol.
Five discuss

1.Recovery of persons from the water

The SOLAS amendments, adopted in 2012, were developed as part of the International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s work on large
passenger ship safety and are aimed at ensuring all ships have the capability to effectively serve as a rescue asset and have the right
equipment to be able to rescue persons from the water and from survival craft, in the event of an incident.

This new requirement is intended to enhance safety at sea and also to provide support to search and rescue coordinators in all types of rescue
operations and, particularly, in those situations where there is insufficient dedicated search and rescue capacity or access to helicopters and
specialized rescue craft is limited.

The ship’s plans and procedures should take into account related Guidelines for the development of plans and procedures for recovery of
persons from the water (MSC.1/Circ.1447).

Ships constructed before 1 July 2014 are required to comply with the requirement by the first periodical or renewal safety equipment survey
of the ship to be carried out after 1 July 2014,whichever comes first.

The implementation of the requirements on ships to which SOLAS does not apply is encouraged under a related MSC resolution, also
adopted in 2012, which invites SOLAS Contracting Governments to determine to what extent the requirements should apply to: cargo ships
of a gross tonnage below 500 engaged on any voyage; cargo ships of a gross tonnage of 500 and above not engaged on international voyages;
passenger ships not engaged on international voyages; fishing vessels; high-speed craft; dynamically supported craft; special purpose ships;
and mobile offshore drilling units.
For seafarers, IMO has issued A Pocket Guide to Recovery Techniques (IMO I947E).

2.Reducing on-board noise:- entering into force on 1 July 2014 is the new SOLAS regulation II-1/3-12, which requires new ships to
be constructed to reduce on-board noise and to protect personnel from noise, in accordance with the revised Code on noise levels on
board ships, which sets out mandatory maximum noise level limits for machinery spaces, control rooms, workshops, accommodation and
other spaces on board ships.

The limits specified in this section shall be regarded as maximum levels and not as desirable levels. Where reasonably practicable, it is
desirable for the noise level to be lower than the maximum levels specified.

The Code is intended to provide standards to prevent the occurrence of potentially hazardous noise levels on board ships and to provide
standards for an acceptable environment for seafarers.
These standards were developed to address passenger and cargo ships. Since some sizes and certain service types of ships have been
exempted from these requirements, it should be recognised that full application of the Code to ships that differ appreciably from conventional
ships will require special considerations.
The Code is intended to provide the basis for a design standard, with compliance based on the satisfactory conclusion of sea trials that result
in issuance of a Noise Survey Report. Ongoing operational compliance is predicated on the crew being trained in the principles of pesonal
protection and maintenance of mitigation measures.

3.SOLAS Regulation II-1/8-1 has been amended and will require operational information to be provided to the master after a flooding
casualty to assist with decisions regarding safe return to port.

The new requirement applies to passenger vessels over 120m in length or with three or more main vertical zones, constructed on or after 1
January, 2014. The operational information can be provided by onboard stability computers or through shore-based support arrangements,
as follows.

Onboard stability computers

If the ship is complying with the regulation using onboard stability computers, the following requirements apply:
1. At least two independent stability computers capable of processing the data and providing the necessary information
should be installed on board.
2. The computers must be approved in accordance with the guidelines .
3. The computers should have an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) connected to both main and emergency
switchboards.
4. At least two crew members should be competent in operating the computers and capable of interpreting the output in
order to provide the required information.
Shore-based support

As an alternative to onboard stability computers, shipowners can arrange shore-based support which provides prompt access to
computerised damage stability and residual structural strength calculation programs.

Shore-based support should be operational within one hour; whereby operational means the ability to input details of the conditions of the
ship as instructed.

Shore-based support should be manned by adequately qualified persons with regard to stability and ship strength;
no less than two qualified persons should be available to be on call at all times.

4.According to the SOLAS Regulation VI/5-2, the blending of all MARPOL liquid cargoes during sea voyages is prohibited. Physical
blending refers to the process whereby the ship's cargo pumps and pipelines are used to internally circulate two or more different cargoes
with the intent to achieve a cargo with a new product designation.

Regulation VI/5-2 was adopted by the International Maritime Organisation at the 90th session of the Maritime Safety Committee through
Resolution MSC.325(90)

This prohibition does not apply:

1. when cargo transfers are undertaken for the safety of the ship and crew or protection of the marine environment;
2. to the blending of products for use in the search and exploitation of seabed mineral resources on board ships used to facilitate such
operations (e.g. offshore vessels).

The regulation prohibits production processes on board ships during sea voyages. Production processes refer to any deliberate operation
whereby a chemical reaction between a ship's cargo and any other substance or cargo takes place.

This prohibition does not apply to the production processes of cargoes for use in the search and exploitation of seabed mineral resources on
board ships used to facilitate such operations (e.g. offshore vessels).

5. Fire-fighter communication on-board:-Amendments to SOLAS regulation II-2/10 on fire fighting enter into force on 1 July 2014, to require
a minimum of two two-way portable radiotelephone apparatus for each fire party for fire fighters’ communication to be carried. The
apparatus shall be of an explosion-proof type or intrinsically safe. Ships constructed before 1 July 2014 shall comply with the above
requirements not later than the first survey after 1 July 2018.