American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) published an overview of the IMO Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) 105th session that was held virtually from April 20 to 29, 2022.
Amendments to mandatory instruments
#1 Amendments to SOLAS
The Committee adopted Resolution MSC.496(105) containing amendments to Chapters II-1, III, IV and V, and the appendix (Certificates) of 1974 SOLAS Convention. This resolution contains a complete replacement text of chapter IV of SOLAS, as well as a relocation of provisions for life-saving appliance communication equipment from Chapter III to Chapter IV. The changes in this resolution collectively represent the IMO’s efforts for the Modernization of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS).
The Committee also adopted Resolution MSC.497(105) containing amendments to the 1988 SOLAS Protocol, concerning the modernization of the GMDSS.
These amendments will enter into force on 1 January 2024. Additional details describing the changes are discussed further in the Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue section of this Brief.
Carriage of industrial personnel
#1 New SOLAS Chapter XV – Safety Measures for Ships Carrying Industrial Personnel
The Committee approved a draft new SOLAS Chapter XV addressing cargo ships and high-speed cargo craft of 500 gross tonnage and upward, carrying more than 12 industrial personnel. For the purposes of this new chapter, industrial personnel are persons transported or accommodated on board for the purpose of performing offshore industrial activities (construction, maintenance, decommissioning, operation or servicing of offshore facilities related, but not limited, to exploration and exploitation of resources by the renewable or hydrocarbon energy sectors, aquaculture, ocean mining or similar activities) performed on board other ships /or offshore facilities.
Wherever the number of industrial personnel onboard appears as a parameter for application of a regulation, it shall be taken to mean the aggregate number of industrial personnel, special personnel and passengers carried onboard (where the number of passengers shall not exceed 12 persons).
This amendment to SOLAS will coincide with the adoption of the Code of Safety for Ships Carrying Industrial Personnel, or IP Code. The new SOLAS Chapter XV will be structured to clarify the application of the mandatory provisions in the IP Code to vessels normally certified under SOLAS and the HSC Code.
For existing ships constructed before entry into force of SOLAS Chapter XV that comply with the Interim Recommendations on the Safe Carriage of More Than 12 Industrial Personnel on Vessels Engaged on International Voyages (MSC.418(97), adopted 25 November 2016), a grace period will be given before selected regulations in the IP Code must be complied with:
Existing cargo ships or high-speed cargo craft, irrespective of date of construction, which have not been authorized to carry more than 12 industrial personnel prior to entry into force of SOLAS Chapter XV must fully comply with and be certified in accordance with the IP Code before carrying more than 12 industrial personnel.
These amendments are subject to adoption at MSC 106 (Nov-2022), for entry into force on 1 July 2024.
Safety of ships related to the use of fuel oil
#1 Draft Amendments on Fuel Oil Safety Related to Flashpoint Requirements
The Committee approved draft amendments to SOLAS Chapter /Regulation 4 which are intended to enhance the safety of ships related to use of fuel oil by addressing concerns regarding the verification of the flashpoint of bunkered fuel oil. These draft amendments address this issue in three parts:
1) The approved draft amendments will require documentation of the flashpoint of the actual fuel batch when bunkering. Under this proposed regulation, ships shall be provided with a declaration signed and certified by the fuel oil supplier’s representative that the oil fuel supplied is in conformity with regulation SOLAS /4.2.1 and the test method used for determining the flashpoint. The bunker delivery note that is to be provided prior to bunkering must contain the flashpoint specified in accordance with standards acceptable to the Organization, or a statement that flashpoint has been measured at or above 70ºC;
2) The draft amendments will also require Member States to report to the IMO any confirmed cases where oil fuel suppliers have failed to meet the flashpoint requirements of the Organization; and
3) The draft amendments will require Member States to take appropriate actions against oil fuel suppliers that have been found to deliver oil fuel that does not comply with flashpoint requirements of SOLAS regulation /4.2.1.
These amendments will be subject to adoption at MSC 106 (Nov-2022). An intersessional correspondence group will progress work on guidelines for fuel oil sampling procedures related to these amendments.
Marine Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS)
#1 Road Map for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships
The Committee received proposals from several Member States for development of guidance for MASS in the IMO regulatory framework and agreed to the development of a roadmap and instructed the working group to finalize it. The Working Group on MASS was established and was provided with the draft roadmap to address MASS operations in the IMO regulatory framework. The objective of the working group was to develop a non-mandatory instrument in the form of a goal-based MASS Code, a first step towards a mandatory instrument in the future. This would initially be applicable to cargo ships only while in development, and to eventually be applicable to passenger vessels once finalized and made mandatory.
Navigation, communications and search and rescue
#1 Modernization of the Global Marine Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)
Communications between ships and shore, and search and rescue (SAR) at sea, depend on the integrated satellite and terrestrial radiocommunication system in the GMDSS. The GMDSS revision has been aimed at enabling the use of modern communication systems, while removing requirements to carry obsolete systems.
Interim Guidelines for Safety of Ships Using Fuel Cell Power Installations
The Committee approved circular /Circ.1647 providing interim guidelines for the safety of ships using fuel cell power installations. These Interim Guidelines have been developed to provide international standard provisions for ships using fuel cell power installations.
The goal of these Interim Guidelines is to provide criteria for the arrangement and installation of fuel cell power installations with at least the same level of safety and reliability as new and comparable conventional oil-fueled main and auxiliary machinery installations, regardless of the specific fuel cell type and fuel. These Interim Guidelines are intended to apply to ships which must comply with SOLAS Chapter II-1 Part G (Ships Using Low-Flashpoint Fuels).
