Entry into Force of the Amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS 74), as Amended

August 19, 2011

MARINA FLAG STATE ADMINISTRATION ADVISORY NO. 09-11

 

Notice is hereby given that the amendments adopted by the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) in its 85th and 86th Sessions held on 26 November-5 December 2008 and 27 May-5 June 2009 and the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) in its 59th Session held on 13-17 July 2009 of the International Maritime Organization to the Resolutions and Code listed below have entered into force on 1 January 2011. The following Resolutions and Code shall be observed by ships engaged in international voyages.

Convention	Regulation/	Subject	Amendments
	Resolution
SOLAS 74	Chapter II-1,	New installations of	The existing text of
Amendments	Part A-1, Regulation	material containing	paragraph 2 is replaced
	3-5 —"New installation	asbestos are prohibited	by the following:
	of materials containing	without exception
	asbestos"		"From 1 January 2011, for all
			ships, new installation of
			materials which contain
	Res. MSC.282(86) —		asbestos shall be prohibited."
	Adoption of Amendments
	to the International
	Convention for the Safety
	of Life at Sea, 1974,
	as amended"
	Chapter II-1,	Close vehicle and ro-ro	The following new paragraph
	Part C, Regulation 35-1	spaces and special	2.6.3 is added after the
	— "Bilge pumping	category spaces fitted	existing paragraph 2.6.2:
	arrangements"	with fixed pressure
		water-spraying systems	"2.6.3 Provisions for the
	Res. MSC.282(86) —	on all ships, regardless	drainage of closed vehicle
	Adoption of	of the date of construction,	and ro-ro spaces and special
	Amendments to the	are required to provide	category spaces shall also
	International Convention	means to prevent the	comply with the Regulations II-
	for the Safety of Life	blockage of drainage	2/20.6.1.4 and II-2/20.6.1.5."
	at Sea ,1974, as amended"	arrangements
	Chapter V, Regulation	Electronic Chart Display	In paragraph 2.1, a sentence was
	19 — Carriage	and Information system	added to the existing
	requirements for	(ECDIS) is now	subparagraph .4 which read as
	shipborne navigational	acceptable in lieu of	follows:
	systems and equipment	paper charts and will
		become mandatory for	".4. . . . Ships to which
	Paragraphs 2.1, 2.10	passenger ships of 500	paragraph 2.10 applies shall
	and 2.11	gross tonnage and	comply with the carriage
		upwards and cargo ships	requirements for ECDIS detailed
	Res. MSC.282(86) —	of 3,000 gross tonnage	therein."
	"Adoption of	and upwards over a
	Amendments to the	phased-in compliance	After the existing paragraph
	International Convention	period from 1 July	2.9, new paragraphs 2.10 and
	for the Safety of Life at	2012 to 1 July 2018.	2.11 are added.
	Sea, 1974, as amended"
			Paragraph 2.10 requires that
			ECDIS requirements shall
			become mandatory for
			passenger ships of 500 gross
			tonnage and upwards and cargo
			ships of 3,000 gross tonnage
			and upwards over a phased-in
			compliance period from 1 July
			2012 to 1 July 2018 (details
			of the phase-in compliance is
			listed under paragraph 2.10),
			while paragraph 2.11 covers the
			condition to which a ship may
			be exempted from such
			requirements.
			Note: Should be read in
			conjunction with the following
			Circulars:
			1.	Appendix 6 of MSC.232
				(82) — "Back-up
				Requirements",
			2.	SN.1/Circ. 276 —
				"Transitioning from Paper
				Chart to Electronic Chart
				Display and Information
				Systems (ECDIS)
				Navigation",
			3.	MSC.1/Circ. 1290 —
				"Unified Interpretation of the
				Term "First Survey"
				referred to SOLAS
				Regulation",
				SN.1/Circ. 266/Rev.1 —
				"Maintenance of Electronic
				Chart Display and
				Information Systems
				(ECDIS) software".
			5.	MSC.1/Circ. 1389 —
				"Guidelines on procedures
				for updating shipborne
				navigation and
				communication equipment"
			Remarks: Shipowners should
			require and take note of the
			following:
			1.	All navigating officers on
				ships fitted with an
				approved ECDIS shall have
				completed an approved
				training on the use of ECDIS
				(IMO Model Course 1.27
				— "The Operational Use of
				Electronic Chart Display
				and Information Systems
				(ECDIS)" or equivalent as
				contained in the STCW
				Convention and Code);
			2.	The navigating officers
				should also be provided
				training on the specific make
				and model installed on their
				ships. This equipment-
				specific training can be
				provided by the shipping
				company itself as part of
				ship familiarization, using
				services of trainers
				appointed by the
				manufacturer or
				manufacturer's agent; and
			3.	Shipowners should be aware
				of their responsibility under
				the ISM Code to ensure that
				their ship officers are
				competent in the use of the
				ECDIS to maintain safety of
				navigation, which may be
				expected to demonstrate
				their competence to Port
				State Control officers.
	Chapter V, Regulation	Mandatory requirement	Adding "subparagraph .3" after
	19 — Carriage	of a Bridge Navigational	the existing "subparagraph .2"
	requirements for	Watch Alarm System	which requires that passenger
	shipborne navigational	(BNWAS) over a phased-	ships irrespective of their gross
	systems and equipment	in compliance period of 1	tonnage and cargo ships of 150
		July 2011 to 1 July 2014.	gross tonnage and upwards,
	Paragraphs 2.2		regardless of their construction
			to be fitted with a Bridge
	Res. MSC.282(86) —		Navigational Watch Alarm
	"Adoption of Amendments		Systems (BNWAS) over a
	to the International		phased-in compliance period of
	Convention for the Safety		1 July 2011 to 1 July 2014
	of Life at Sea, 1974, as		(details of the phased-in
	amended"		compliance is listed under this
			subparagraph).
			Further, "subparagraph .4" is
			added providing the exemption
			from such requirements.
			Note: Should be read in
			conjunction with MSC.128(75)
			— "Performance Standards for a
			Bridge Navigational Watch
			Alarm System (BNWAS) and
			SOLAS Regulation V/18.2 —
			Performance standard for
			BNWAS.
	Parts A and B of	The International	Parts A and B of Chapter VI and
	Chapter VI and Part	Maritime Solid Bulk	Part A-1 of Chapter VII of the
	A-1 of Chapter VII	Cargoes (IMSBC) Code,	SOLAS 74, as amended,
		which superseded the	regarding the carriage of solid
	Res. 268(85) —	Code of Safe Practice for	bulk cargoes and the carriage of
	"Adoption of the	Solid Bulk Cargoes (BC	dangerous goods in solid form in
	International Maritime	Code) is made mandatory	bulk, respectively are being
	Solid Bulk Cargoes	for ships carrying solid	amended and are reproduced in
	(IMSBC) Code"	bulk cargoes other than	full.
		grain.
			Note: Should be read in
			conjunction with MSC.269(55)
			— "Adoption of amendments to
			the International Convention for
			Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as
			amended".
			Remarks: Shipowners should
			secure their CoC from the ROs.
Amendments	Annex 1, Chapter 8	Prevention of Pollution	These amendments require that
to International	Regulations 40, 41 and 42	During transfer of Oil	oil tankers of 150 gross tonnage
Convention		Cargo Between Oil	and above engaged in transfer of
for the	Resolution MEPC.186(59)	Tankers (Ship to Ship	oil cargo between oil tankers at
Prevention of	— "Amendments to the	Transfer Operations)	sea (STS operations) to
Pollution	Annex of the Protocol		implement a STS Operation Plan
from Ships	of 1978 Relating to the		on board the ship.
(MARPOL)	International Convention
73/74	for the Prevention of		Note: Should be read in
	Pollution from Ships, 1973"		conjunction with IMO'S Manual
			on Oil Pollution Section 1,
			Prevention" as amended and the
			ICS and OCIMF "Ship to Ship
			Transfer guide, Petroleum" 4th
			Edition, as amended from time
			to time.
			Remarks: Shipowners should
			have their STS plan approved
			by the ROs.

 

All Philippine overseas shipping companies and other maritime entities are required to comply with these Resolutions and Codes.

Copies of the IMO Circulars/Resolutions may be downloaded from www.imo.org.

Any queries relating to this Advisory should be directed to the MARINA Administrator at Telephone Nos. 523-9078 and 526-0971 with address at Parkview Plaza, 984 Taft Avenue corner T.M. Kalaw Avenue, Ermita, Manila, Philippines or at MARINA website www.marina.gov.ph. EaHIDC

For compliance.

Issued on August 19, 2011 at Manila, Philippines.

 

(SGD.) EMERSON M. LORENZO, CESO VAdministrator

 

Published in The Manila Times on September 30, 2011.