IMO the International Maritime Organization

is the United Nations specialized agency with

responsibility for the safety and security of
shipping and the prevention of marine
pollution by ships.
 ADOPTING A CONVENTION
INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION
Structure of IMO Bodies
The Four Pillars of International Maritime
Regulations

The principal regulation governing maritime safety are;

SOLAS, ISPS code, MARPOL for ships

ISM code for companies

STCW and MLC for seafarers

MARITIME CONVENTION: IMO S ROLE

Adopting a Enter into

Ratification Amendments
convention force

Example ;
EG: STCW
Adopted- 1978
Ratified-1983
Entered into force-1984
Amendments : 1995 & 2010
Adoption

- Developments in shipping and other related industries are discussed

by Member States, and the need for a new convention or amendments
to existing conventions can be raised in any of them.

- Normally the suggestion is first made in one of the committees, If

agreement is reached in the committee, the proposal goes to the
council and, as necessary, to the Assembly.

- If the Assembly or the Council, gives authorization to proceed with the

work, the committee concerned works with specialized sub-committee
considers the matter in greater detail and ultimately draws up a draft
instrument.
- The draft convention which is agreed upon is reported to the
Council and Assembly with a recommendation that a conference be
conventedto consider the draft for formal adoption.

- Invitation are sent to all Member States.

- Before conference opens, the draft convention is circulated to the

invited Governments and organizations for their comments. The
feedback comments are closely examined by the conference and
necessary changes are made in order to produce a draft acceptable
to all or majority of Governments present. The convention thus
agreed upon is then adopted by the conference and deposited with
Secretary-General who will sends copies to Governments. The
convention is opened for signatures by States, usually for a period
of 12 months.

- The drafting and adoption of a convention in IMO can take several

years to complete.
Amendment

- Technology and techniques in nthe shipping industry change very

rapidly these days. As a result, not only are new conventions
required but existing ones need to be kept up to date.
- E.g. SOLAS- 1960 was amended 6 times after it entered into force
in 1965.

- In early conventions, amendments came into force only after a

percentage of Contracting States, two thirds, had accepted them.

- The percentage requirement in practice led to long delays in

bringing amendments into force.

- To remendy the situation a new amendment procedure was

devised in IMO.

- The tacit acceptance procedure provides that an amendment

shall enter into force at a particular time unless before that date,
objection to the amendment are received from a specified nember
of states.
Enforcement

- The enforcement of IMO convention depends upon the

Government f Member States.

- Contracting Government enforce the provision of IMO

conventions as far as their own ships are concerned and also set
the penalties for infringements, where these are applicable.

- E.g. The Singapore Registry of Ships(SRS) is ranked the fifth

largest ship registry in the world, with a fleet of 477 vessels on
its register, aggregating over 880 millions gross tons (GT)
Entry into force

- The adoption of convention marks the conclusion of first satge of long

process.

- The individual governments has to accept formally, ratify it before the

convention comes into force.

- Normally after the convention enters into force for the States which
have accepted, generally a grace period is granted for the States to
take necessary measures for implementation.

- For the important technical conventions, it is necessary thay they are

accepted and applied by a large section of the shipping community. It
is therefore essential that , upon entry in to force, as many of the
maritime States as possibl. Otherwise they would tend to confuse,
rather than clarify, shipping practice.

- A governments acceptance of a convention necessarily places on it

the obligation to take measures required by the convention.

- Averagely, it takes about five years for IMO convention to enter into
force after adoption.
International Convention For Safety Of Life
At Sea (SOLAS)

International Maritime Safety Treaty

Eusures that Ships Flagged By Signatory States Comply with Minimum

Safety Standards
- Constructions
- Equipment
- Operations

Most Important Of All International Treaties Concerning The Safety Of

Merchant Ships
History- SOLAS
SOLAS-1st Version
Year -1914
Adopted in 1914 in response to the Titanic disaster,
- New requirements on safety of navigation for all member ships.
- provision of watertight and fire-retardant bulkheads
- life saving appliances
- fire prevention and fire fighting appliances on passenger ships.
- carriage of radiotelegraph equipment for ships carrying more than
50 persons.
- establishment of a North Atlantic ice patrol.

Never entered into force due to outbreak of first world war.

 SOLAS- 2nd Version
Year- 1929

Adopted in 1929.
It contained about safety articles on ship construction, life saving
equipment, fire prevention and fire fighting , wireless telegraphy
equipment, navigation aids, and rules to prevent collisions.
Entered into force in 1933
 SOLAS-3rd Version
Year-1948

By 1948, the 1929 convention had been overtaken by technical

development.
United Kingdom again hosted an international conference that adopted
the 3rd SOLAS convention.
It followed the already established pattern but covered a wider range of
ships and went into greater details.
 SOLAS-4th Version
Year-1960

Adopted in17th June 1960

Entered into force on 20th May 1965
It was the first major task for the IMO after the organizations creation
and it represent a considerable step forward in modernizing regulations
and in keeping pace with technical developments in the shipping industry.
 SOLAS- Present Version
Year-1974

It includes the implied acceptance procedure that an amendment shall

enter into force on a specified dates unless, before that date, objections
to the amendment are received from an agreed number of parties .
It entered into force in 1980, and has been updated and amended on
numerous occasions.
Chapter I General Provision
Surveying the various type of ships and certifying that they meet the
requirement of the convention
Chapter I

Survey of various type of ships and issuing of documents signifying

that the ship meets the requirements of the convention.

E.g. Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate- 5 years

Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate 5 years
Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate 5 years

Also includes provisions for the control ships in ports of other

Contracting Governtments.
Chapter II-1 Construction Subdivision
and stability, machinery and electrical
installations.

The subdivisions of passenger ship into watertight compartments so that

after damage to its hull, a vessel will remain afloat and stable.
Chapter II

The subdivision of passenger ships into watertight compartments must

be such that after assumed damage to the ships hull the vessel will
remain afloat and stable.

Requirements for watertight integrity and bilge pumping

arrangements for passenger ships.

Stability requirements for both passenger and cargo ships.

Where any alterations are made to a ship so as to materially affect

the stability information supplied, if necessary, the ship shall be re-
inclined.

The degree of subdivision- measured by the maximum permissible

distance between two adjacent bulkheads- varies with ships length and
the service in which it is engaged. The highest degree of subdivision
applies to passenger ships.

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.
The steering gear requirements of this chapter are particularly
important.
Chapter II-2- Construction-Fire protection,
fire detection and fire extinction.

Fire safety provision for all ships with detailled measures for passenger
ships, cargo ships and tankers.
Chapter II-2

Detailed fire safety provisions for all ships and specific measures for
passenger ships, cargo ships and tankers.

Division of the ship into main and vertical zones by thermal and
structural boundaries.

Seperation of accomodation 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 the fire-fighting

purposes;

Ready availablity of fire-extiguishing appliances

Minimization of the possibility of ignition of flammable cargo vapor.

Chapter III- Life Saving appliances and
arrangements.

Life saving appliances and arrangements, including requirement for life

boats, rescue boats and life jackets according to type of ships.
Chapter III

Requirements for life-saving appliances and arrangements, including

requirements forv life-boats, rescue boats and life jackets according to
type of ship.

The international Life-Saving Appliances (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.
 Ship Radio
EPIRB SART
Equipment

Chapter IV- Radiocommunications

The Global Maritime Distress Safety System(GMDSS) requires

passenger and cargo ships on the international voyages to carry radio
equipment, including satellite Emergency Position Indicating Radio
Beacon (EPIRB) and Search and Rescue Transponders (SARTS)
Chapter IV

incorporates the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System

(GMDSS). 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.

Regulations in Chapter IV cover undertakings by contracting

governments to provide radiocommunciation 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

This chapter requires the governments to ensure that all vessels are
sufficiently and efficiently manned from a safety point of view.

It places requirement on all vessels regarding voyage and passage

planning, expecting a careful assessment of any proposed voyage by all
who put to sea.
 Every mariner must take account of all potential dangers to navigation,
weather forecasts, tidal predictions, the competent of the crew, and all
ther relevant factors.

It also adds on obligation for all vessels masters to offer assistance to

those in distress and controls the use of life saving signals with specific
requirement regarding danger and distress messages

Mandatory on the carriage of voyage data recorders (VDR) and

automatic ship identification system (AIS) for certain ships.
Chapter IV- Carriage of Cargoes

Requirements for the stowage and securing of all types of cargo and
cargo containers except liquids and gases in bulk
Chapter VI

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

Requires the carriage of all kinds of dangerous goods to be in compliance

with the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code)
Chapter VII

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.
Contracting Governments are required to issue instructions at the
national level and the Chapter makes mandatory the International
Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code, developed by IMO,
which is constantly updated to accommodate new dangerous goods
and to supplement or revise existing provisions.

Part A-1 - Carriage of dangerous goods in solid form in bulk - covers

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).
 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).

The chapter requires carriage of dangerous goods to be in compliance

with the relevant provisions of the International Maritime
Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code). The IMDG Code was first
adopted by IMO in 1965 and has been kept up to date by regular
amendments, including those needed to keep it in line with United
Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods which
sets the basic requirements for all the transport modes.

Chapter VIII Nuclear Ships

Nuclear powered ships are required, particularly concerning radiation

hazards, to conform to the Code of Safety for Nuclear merchant Ships.
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

Requires every shipowner and any person or company that has

assumed responsibility for a ship to comply with the International
Safety Management Code (ISM)
Chapter IX - Management for the Safe Operation of Ships

The 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.

Makes mandatory the International Code of

Safety For High Speed Craft (HSC Code)
Chapter X - Safety measures for high-speed craft

The Chapter makes mandatory the International Code of Safety for

High-Speed Craft (HSC Code).
Chapter XI-1 Special
Measures to Enhance Maritime
Safety

Requirement relating to organisation responsible for carrying out

surveys and inspections, enhanced surveys, ship identification
number scheme and operational requirements.
Chapter XI-1 - Special measures to enhance maritime safety

The Chapter clarifies requirements relating to authorization of

recognized organizations (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 Measure to
Enhance Maritime Safety
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. The Regulation
requires Administration to set security levels and ensure the provision
of security level information to ships entitled to fly their flag. Prior to
entering a port, or whilst in a port, within the territory of a
Contracting Government, a ship shall comply with the
requirements for the security level set by that Contracting Government,
if that security level is higher than the security level set by the
Administration for that ship.

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, according to a strict timetable that will see most
vessels fitted by 2004 and the remainder by 2006. When activated the
ship security alert system shall initiate and transmit a ship-to-shore
security alert to a competent authority designated by the
Administration, identifying the ship, its location and indicating
that the security of the ship is under threat or it has been
compromised. The system will not raise any alarm on-board the ship.
The ship security alert system shall be capable of being activated from
the navigation bridge and in at least one other location.

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, expulsion of a ship from port, and the specific responsibility of
Companies.
Chapter XII Additional Safety
Measures For Bulk Carriers

Specific structural requirement for bulk carrier over 150 meters in

length
Chapter XII - Additional safety measures for bulk carriers

The Chapter includes structural requirements for bulk carriers over

150 metres in length
Overview Of SOLAS