New requirements under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) entered into force on 1 July 2014.
The new requirements include all ships to have plans, procedures and equipment to recover persons from the water.
It’s intended to enhance safety at sea and provide support to search and rescue coordinators in all types of rescue operations and in those situations where this is insufficient dedicated search and rescue capacity or access.
Vessels constructed before 1 July 2014 are required to comply with the requirement by the first periodical or renewal safety equipment survey of the vessel to be carried out after 1 July 2014, whichever comes first.
Also entered into force was the new SOLAS regulation II-1/3-12, which requires new vessels to be constructed to reduce onboard 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.
Further amendments to regulation II-1/15 on instructions, onboard training and drills are also included, among others. They require an onboard means of recharging breathing apparatus cylinders used during drills, or a suitable number of spare cylinders.
By Rachael Doyle
