The
main objectives of the SOLAS Convention are to specify minimum standards for
the construction, equipment and operation of ships, compatible with their safety.
Contents
of the SOLAS Convention
Chapter I General Provisions
Chapter II-1 Construction – Subdivision and
stability, machinery and electrical installations
Chapter II-2 Construction – Fire protection, fire
detection and fire extinction
Chapter III Life saving appliances and arrangements
Chapter IV Radio communications
Chapter V Safety of navigation
Chapter VI Carriage of cargoes 6
Chapter VII – Carriage of Dangerous goods
Chapter VIII – Nuclear Ships
Chapter IX – Management for the safe operation of ships
(Formerly known as ISM Code)
Chapter X – Safety measures for high speed craft
Chapter XI – Special features to enhance maritime
safety
Chapter XI-II – Special Measures to enhance maritime
security
Chapter XII – Additional safety measures for bulk
carriers
Chapter XIII – Verification of compliance
Chapter XIV – Safety measures for ships operating in
polar water
Chapter
I- General Provisions
- Chapter I of SOLAS Convention includes regulations
concerning the survey of the various types of ships and the issuing of
documents signifying that the ship meets the requirements of the Convention.
- The Chapter also includes provisions for the control
of ships in ports of other Contracting Governments.
Chapter
II-1- Construction – Subdivision and stability, machinery and electrical
installations
source : google
- The subdivision of passenger ships into watertight
compartments must be such that after assumed damage to the ship’s hull the
vessel will remain afloat and stable. Requirements for watertight integrity and
bilge pumping arrangements for passenger ships are also laid down as well as
stability requirements for both passenger and cargo ships.
- The degree of subdivision – measured by the maximum
permissible distance between two adjacent bulkheads – varies with ship’s length
and the service in which it is engaged. The highest degree of subdivision
applies to passenger ships.
- Requirements covering machinery and electrical
installations are designed to ensure that services which are essential for the
safety of the ship, passengers and crew are maintained under various emergency
conditions.
- “Goal-based standards” for oil tankers and bulk
carriers were adopted in 2010, requiring
new ships to be designed and constructed for a specified design life and to be
safe and environmentally friendly, in intact and specified damage conditions,
throughout their life.
- Under this regulation, ships should have adequate
strength, integrity and stability to minimise the risk of loss of the ship or
pollution to the marine environment due to structural failure, including collapse,
resulting in flooding or loss of watertight integrity.
Chapter
II-2- Fire protection, fire detection and fire extinction
This SOLAS Convention chapter includes detailed fire
safety provisions for all ships and specific measures for passenger ships, cargo
ships and tankers. They include the following principles:
- division of the ship into main and vertical zones by
thermal and structural boundaries;
- separation of accommodation spaces from the remainder
of the ship by thermal and structural boundaries;
- restricted use of combustible materials; detection of
any fire in the zone of origin;
- containment and extinction of any fire in the space
of origin; protection of the means of escape or of access for fire- fighting
purposes; ready availability of fire-extinguishing appliances;
- minimisation of the possibility of ignition of
flammable cargo vapour.
Chapter
III- Life-saving Appliances and Arrangements
This SOLAS Chapter includes requirements for
life-saving appliances and arrangements, including requirements for life boats,
rescue boats and life jackets according to type of ship. The International
Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) Code gives specific technical requirements for LSAs
and is mandatory under Regulation 34, which states that all life-saving
appliances and arrangements shall comply with the applicable requirements of
the LSA Code.
source : googles
Chapter
IV– Radiocommunications
- This SOLAS Chapter incorporates the GMDSS (Global
Maritime Distress and Safety System).
- All passenger ships and all cargo ships of 300 gross
tonnage and upwards on international voyages are required to carry equipment
designed to improve the chances of rescue following an accident, including satellite
Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) and Search and Rescue
Transponders (SARTs) for the location of the ship or survival craft.
source : google
- Regulations in Chapter IV cover undertakings by
contracting governments to provide radiocommunication services as well as ship
requirements for carriage of radiocommunications equipment. The Chapter is
closely linked to the Radio Regulations of the International Telecommunication
Union.
Chapter
V- Safety of navigation
- Chapter V of SOLAS Convention identifies certain
navigation safety services which should be provided by Contracting Governments
and sets forth provisions of an operational nature applicable in general to all
ships on all voyages. This is in contrast to the Convention as a whole, which
only applies to certain classes of ship engaged on international voyages.
- The subjects covered under Chapter V of SOLAS include
- the maintenance of meteorological services for ships;
- the ice patrol service; routeing of ships; and the
maintenance of search and rescue services,
- a general obligation for masters to proceed to the
assistance of those in distress and for Contracting Governments to ensure that
all ships shall be sufficiently and efficiently manned from a safety point of view.
- The chapter makes mandatory the carriage of Voyage
Data Recorders (VDRs) and Automatic Ship Identification Systems (AIS) for
certain ships.
Chapter
VI- Carriage of Cargoes
- Chapter VI of SOLAS Convention covers all types of
cargo (except liquids and gases in bulk) “which, owing to their particular
hazards to ships or persons on board, may require special precautions”.
- The regulations include requirements for stowage and
securing of cargo or cargo units (such as containers).
- The Chapter requires cargo ships carrying grain to
comply with the International Grain Code.
Chapter
VII- Carriage of dangerous goods
The regulations are contained in three parts:
- Part A- Carriage of dangerous goods in packaged form–
includes provisions for the classification, packing, marking, labelling and
placarding, documentation and stowage of dangerous goods.
- Part A-1- Carriage of dangerous goods in solid form in
bulk– includes the documentation, stowage and segregation requirements for
these goods and requires reporting of incidents involving such goods.
- Part B covers Construction and equipment of ships
carrying dangerous liquid chemicals in bulk and requires chemical tankers built
after 1 July 1986 to comply with the International Bulk Chemical Code (IBC
Code). 14
- Part C covers Construction and equipment of ships
carrying liquefied gases in bulk and gas carriers constructed after 1 July 1986
to comply with the requirements of the International Gas Carrier Code (IGC
Code).
- Part D includes special requirements for the carriage
of packaged irradiated nuclear fuel, plutonium and high-level radioactive
wastes on board ships and requires ships carrying such products to comply with
the International Code for the Safe Carriage of Packaged Irradiated Nuclear
Fuel, Plutonium and High-Level Radioactive Wastes on Board Ships (INF Code).
- Chapter VII of SOLAS Convention requires carriage of
dangerous goods to be in compliance with the relevant provisions of the
International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code).
Chapter
VIII- Nuclear Ships
Gives basic requirements for nuclear-powered ships
and is particularly concerned with radiation hazards. It refers to detailed and
comprehensive Code of Safety for Nuclear Merchant Ships which was adopted by
the IMO Assembly in 1981.
Chapter
IX- Management for the Safe Operation of Ships
This chapter makes mandatory the International Safety
Management (ISM) Code, which requires a safety management system to be
established by the shipowner or any person who has assumed responsibility for
the ship (the “Company”).
Chapter
X – Safety Measures for High-Speed Craft
source : google
Chapter X of SOLAS makes mandatory the International
Code of Safety for High-Speed Craft (HSC Code).
Chapter
XI-1 – Special Measures to Enhance Maritime Safety
This SOLAS Chapter clarifies requirements relating to
authorisation of recognised organisations (responsible for carrying out surveys
and inspections on Administrations’ behalves); enhanced surveys; ship
identification number scheme; and port State control on operational
requirements.
Chapter
XI-2- Special Measures to Enhance Maritime Security
The Chapter was adopted in December 2002 and entered
into force on 1 July 2004. Regulation XI-2/3 of the new chapter enshrines the
International Ship and Port Facilities Security Code (ISPS Code). Part A of the
Code is mandatory and Part B contains guidance as to how best to comply with
the mandatory requirements.
- Regulation XI-2/3 of the chapter shades light on the International
Ship and Port Facilities Security Code (ISPS Code). Part A of the Code is
mandatory and part B contains guidance as to how best to comply with the
mandatory requirements.
- Regulation XI-2/8 confirms the role of the Master in
exercising his professional judgement over decisions necessary to maintain the
security of the ship. It says he shall not be constrained by the Company, the
charterer or any other person in this respect.
- Regulation XI-2/5 requires all ships to be provided
with a ship security alert system.
- Regulation XI-2/6 covers requirements for port
facilities, providing among other things for Contracting Governments to ensure
that port facility security assessments are carried out and that port facility
security plans are developed, implemented and reviewed in accordance with the
ISPS Code.
- Other regulations in this chapter cover the provision
of information to IMO, the control of ships in port, (including measures such
as the delay, detention, restriction of operations including movement within
the port, or expulsion of a ship from port), and the specific responsibility of
Companies.
Chapter
XII- Additional safety measures for bulk carriers
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This Chapter includes structural requirements for
bulk carriers over 150 metres in length.
Chapter
XIII- Verification of Compliance
Chapter XIII makes mandatory from 1 January 2016 the
IMO Member State Audit Scheme.
Chapter
XIV- Safety measures for ships operating in polar waters
Chapter XIV of SOLAS makes it mandatory, from 1
January 2017, the Introduction and part I-A of the International Code for Ships
Operating in Polar Waters (the Polar Code).
source : google
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