MARITIME LAW

Topic 22: Responsibilities under the relevant

requirements of SOLAS, 1974, as amended
 LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of the topic,

the students should be able to:

1. States the obligations of the master of a ship at sea on receiving

a signal from any source that a ship or aircraft or a survival craft
thereof is in distress and when the master of a ship is released
from the obligation to render assistance
2. Explains the rights of the master of a ship in distress to
requisition one or more ships which have answered his call for
assistance
 LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of the topic,

the students should be able to:

3. States that all equipment fitted in compliance with Reg V/12 must
be of a type approved by the Administration

4. States that all ships should be sufficiently and efficiently manned

in accordance with minimum safe manning and that manning is
subject to Port State Control inspection
 LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of the topic,

the students should be able to:
5. Describes the procedure for the testing of the ship‘s steering gear
before departure that includes change-over procedures for remote
steering gear control and steering gear power units and the test
and drills must be logged.
6. Explains the basic requirements for the carriage of dangerous
goods in packaged form, IMDG Code, dangerous goods in solid
form in bulk
7. Explains the Parties to the Convention must apply the requirements
of the Convention to ships of non-Parties to ensure that no more
favourable treatment is given to such ships.
 LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of the topic,

the students should be able to:

7. Describes main elements of relevant IMO Conventions, e.g.

SOLAS, MARPOL and STCW

8. Explains the significance of the 'no more favourable treatment’

clause in the SOLAS, MARPOL, STCW and ILO Minimum
Standards in Merchant Ships Conventions
 Responsibilities under the relevant requirements of
SOLAS, 1974, as amended
Obligations of the master of a ship at sea
on receiving a signal
The International Convention for Safety of
Life at Sea (IMO 1974) states that “the
master of a ship at sea, on receiving a
signal from any source that a ship or
aircraft or survival craft there of is in
distress, is bound to proceed with all
speed to the assistance of the persons
in distress informing them if possible
that he is doing so.”
6
 The International Convention on
Search and Rescue – IMO 1979

Exceptions to this exist, but they don’t seem to

detract much from a master’s underlying
obligation to lend a hand.
A second convention (The International
Convention on Search and Rescue – IMO
1979) also contains language imparting a duty
on its signatory states to render assistance.

This includes the following: “Parties [to the

Convention] shall ensure that assistance is
provided to any person in distress at sea.” 7
 Rendering Assistance

Providing that such assistance is

required only “so far as the master
or individual in charge can do so
without serious danger to the
master or individual’s vessel or
individuals on board.”

As for liability arising from rendering assistance, there’s a federal statute that
says where the assistance is sought an individual “is not liable for damages
as a result of rendering assistance or for an act or omission in
providing or arranging salvage, towage, medical treatment or any other
assistance when the individual acts as an ordinary, reasonable and
prudent individual would have acted under the circumstances.” 8
 SOLAS V – SAFETY OF NAVIGATION

The systems and equipment required to meet

the requirements of regulations 19 and 20
shall be of a type approved by the
Administration and Systems and equipment
installed on or after 1 July 2002 to perform the
functional requirements of regulations 19 and
20 shall conform to appropriate performance
standards not inferior to those adopted by the
Organization
The bridge equipment installed or replaced are met the
requirements of SOLAS Ch. V, Regulation 18
9
 SOLAS V – SAFETY OF NAVIGATION
The IMO Standards
IMO Resolution A.694(17)– General Requirements for Shipborne Radio
equipment forming part of the GMDSS and for electronic navigation aids.
A.813(19)-General requirements for Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)

10
 SOLAS V – SAFETY OF NAVIGATION
The IMO Standards

Integrated Navigation
Systems (INS)
MSC.86 (70) Annex 3-
Adoption of new and amended
performance standards for
Navigational equipment.
A.694 (17)-General
Requirements for Shipborne
Radio equipment forming part
of the GMDSS and for
electronic navigation aids.
11
 SOLAS V – SAFETY OF NAVIGATION
The IMO Standards

Compasses - Magnetic Compass

IMO A.382 (X) - Magnetic
compasses carriage and
performance standards

Gyro Compass
A.424 (XI)-Performance standards
for gyro-compasses

12
 SOLAS V – SAFETY OF NAVIGATION
The IMO Standards

Rate of Turn Indicator

A.526 (13)– Performance
standards for rate of turn
indicators

13
 SOLAS V – SAFETY OF NAVIGATION
The IMO Standards

Control:
Automatic Pilots
A.342 (IX)-
Recommendation on
performance standards for
automatic pilots

14
 SOLAS V – SAFETY OF NAVIGATION
The IMO Standards
Distance:
Speed and Distance Measuring Equipment
(SDME)
A.478 (XII) –Performance standards for devices to
indicate speed an distance
A.824(19)-performance standards for devices to
measure speed and distance
MSC.96(72)- Adoption of amendments to
performance standards for devices to measure and
indicate speed and distance
15
 SOLAS V – SAFETY OF NAVIGATION
The IMO Standards

Echo Sounder
A.224 (VII) –
Performance
standards for Echo-
Sounding equipment

16
 SOLAS V – SAFETY OF NAVIGATION
The IMO Standards
Position:
Electronic charts
ECDIS Standard
A.817 (19) -Performance
standards for Electronic Chart
Display and information systems
(ECDIS)
A.232(82)-Adoption of revised
performance standards for
Electronic Chart Display and
information systems (ECDIS) 17
 SOLAS V – SAFETY OF NAVIGATION
The IMO Standards

Position:
Electronic Navigation Systems
Global Navigation Satellite
System Receiver (GNSS)GPS
MSC.112(73)-Adoption of the
revised performance standards
for shipborne global positioning
system (GPS) receiver equipment

18
 SOLAS V – SAFETY OF NAVIGATION
The IMO Standards

Detection
Radar
Consolidated
performance standards
for all new Radar
Equipment (1/7/2008
and after)
A.222 (VII) -Performance
standards for Radar
Navigational Equipment

19
 SOLAS V – SAFETY OF NAVIGATION
The IMO Standards

Plotting
Automatic Radar
Plotting Aid (ARPA)
A.422 (XI)-Performance
standards for Automatic
Radar Plotting Aids
(ARPA)

20
 SOLAS V – SAFETY OF NAVIGATION
The IMO Standards

Enhancing
Radar Reflector
A.384 (X)-Performance
standards for Radar
Reflectors
MSC.164(78)-Revised
performance standards
for Radar Reflectors

21
 SOLAS V – SAFETY OF NAVIGATION
The IMO Standards

Radar Beacons & Transponders

A.615 (15)–Radar beacons and
transponders
SARTS
A.802 (19)-Performance standards
for Survival Craft Radar
Transponders for use in Search a
Rescue operations

22
 SOLAS V – SAFETY OF NAVIGATION
The IMO Standards

Awareness:
Automatic Identification System
(AIS)
MSC.74 (69) annex 3

23
 SOLAS V – SAFETY OF NAVIGATION
The IMO Standards
Lookout:
Sound Reception System
MSC.86 (70)-Adoption of new and amended performance standards.

24
 SOLAS V – SAFETY OF NAVIGATION
The IMO Standards

Signalling Lamps
MSC.95 (72) - Performance
standards for daylight
signalling lamps

25
 SOLAS V – SAFETY OF NAVIGATION
The IMO Standards

Recording
Voyage Data Recorder
(VDR)
A.861 (20)-Performance
standards for Shipborne
Voyage Data Recorders
(VDRs)

26
 Minimum Safe Manning

All ships should be

sufficiently and efficiently
manned in accordance
with minimum safe
manning and that
manning is subject to
Port State Control
inspection

27
 Procedure of Testing Steering Gears on Ship

Safety of the ship is the prime

concern for seafarers onboard
and for governing authorities
like IMO.
There have been many ship
accidents in the past which
includes collision, grounding,
stranding etc. due to failure of
one critical system- the
steering gear.

Hence crew must be careful in maintaining and testing all the aspects of
28
steering gear present onboard.
 Procedure of Testing Steering Gears on Ship

The guidelines for tests and drills are

provided in chapter V regulation 26 of
SOLAS 74.
Following tests and drills to be carried out
within given period of time as stated in
chapter V.
Steering Gear – Testing and Drills:
Within twelve hours before departure of the
ship from port, following systems to be checked
and tested:
▪ Main steering gear and system
▪ Auxiliary steering gear and system
▪ The remote control systems of steering gear 29
 Procedure of Testing Steering Gears on Ship

Steering Gear – Testing and Drills:

Within twelve hours before departure of the ship from
port, following systems to be checked and tested:
▪ The steering position indicator on the navigation
bridge
▪ The emergency power supply to one of the steering
unit
▪ The rudder angle indicators showing actual position of
the rudder
▪ Power failure alarms for the remote steering gear
control system
▪ Power unit failure alarms for the steering gear unit
▪ Automatic isolating arrangements and other automatic
equipment
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 Procedure of Testing Steering Gears on Ship

Following listed procedure must be included along

with the check and tests described above:

1. The full movement of the rudder as per the

required capabilities of the steering gear system
present onboard

2. A visual inspection of all the linkages and

connection in the steering gear

3. The means of communication between the

steering gear room and navigational bridge must
always be operational
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 Procedure of Testing Steering Gears on Ship

Other Important requirements

related to steering gear are:

A block diagram displaying the

steering system, the changeover
procedure from remote to local
steering and steering gear power
unit indicating the emergency
supply unit must be clearly
mentioned.
This diagram must be pasted in
Navigation Bridge and steering
gear compartment
32
 Procedure of Testing Steering Gears on Ship

All officers and crew concerned with the operation and maintenance of
steering gear system must be familiar with changeover procedure from one to
other system
Emergency steering drills to be carried out inn not more than three months
period. Date and time for the tests, checks and drills carried out in steering
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gear system must be recorded.
 Requirements for the carriage of dangerous
goods in packaged form

The carriage of dangerous cargoes in

packaged form is covered under the
provisions of the IMO’s International
Maritime Dangerous Goods code (IMDG
code), as required by SOLAS Chapter VII
regulations.

As of 1 January 2018, the 2016 edition of

the IMDG code (incorporating amendment
38-16) is mandatory. Some of the
Contracting Governments were already
applying the revised requirements, in part
or in whole, on a voluntary basis from 1
January 2017. 34
 Requirements for the carriage of dangerous
goods in packaged form

The carriage of dangerous cargoes in

packaged form is covered under the
provisions of the IMO’s International
Maritime Dangerous Goods code (IMDG
code), as required by SOLAS Chapter VII
regulations.

As of 1 January 2018, the 2016 edition of

the IMDG code (incorporating amendment
38-16) is mandatory. Some of the
Contracting Governments were already
applying the revised requirements, in part
or in whole, on a voluntary basis from 1
January 2017. 35
 Certificates and special rules on inspection of
ships under the convention

Certificates and special rules on inspection

of ships
With respect to the ship of non-Parties to
the Convention, Parties shall apply the
requirements of the present Convention as
may be necessary to ensure that no more
favourable treatment is given to such
ships.

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