RESOLUTION MSC.134(76)
(adopted on 12 December 2002)
ADOPTION OF AMENDMENTS TO THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE
SAFETY OF LIFE AT SEA, 1974, AS AMENDED
THE MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE,
RECALLING Article 28(b) of the Convention on the International
Maritime Organization concerning the functions of the Committee,
RECALLING FURTHER article VIII(b) of the International Convention
for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974 (hereinafter referred to as
"the Convention"), concerning the amendment procedure applicable to
the Annex to the Convention, other than to the provisions of chapter I thereof,
HAVING CONSIDERED, at its seventy-sixth session, amendments to the
Convention, proposed and circulated in accordance with article VIII(b)(i)
thereof,
1. ADOPTS, in
accordance with article VIII(b)(iv) of the Convention, amendments to the
Convention, the text of which is set out in the Annex to the present
resolution;
2. DETERMINES, in
accordance with article VIII(b)(vi)(2)(bb) of the Convention, that the said
amendments shall be deemed to have been accepted on 1 January 2004, unless,
prior to that date, more than one third of the Contracting Governments to the
Convention or Contracting Governments the combined merchant fleets of which
constitute not less than 50% of the gross tonnage of the world s merchant
fleet, have notified their objections to the amendments;
3. INVITES SOLAS
Contracting Governments to note that, in accordance with article
VIII(b)(vii)(2) of the Convention, the amendments shall enter into force on 1
July 2004 upon their acceptance in accordance with paragraph 2 above;
4. REQUESTS the
Secretary-General, in conformity with article VIII(b)(v) of the Convention, to
transmit certified copies of the present resolution and the text of the
amendments contained in the Annex to all Contracting Governments to the
Convention;
5. FURTHER REQUESTS
the Secretary-General to transmit copies of this resolution and its Annex to
Members of the Organization, which are not Contracting Governments to the
Convention.
ANNEX
AMENDMENTS
TO THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE SAFETY OF LIFE AT SEA, 1974, AS AMENDED
CHAPTER
II-1
CONSTRUCTION
STRUCTURE, SUBDIVISION AND STABILITY, MACHINERY AND ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS
PART
A-1
STRUCTURE
OF SHIPS
1 The following new regulation 3-6 is
added after existing regulation 3-5:
“Regulation 3-6
Access to and within spaces in the cargo area of oil tankers and
bulk carriers
1 Application
1.1 Except as provided
for in paragraph 1.2, this regulation applies to oil tankers of 500 gross
tonnage and over and bulk carriers, as defined in regulation IX/1, of 20,000
gross tonnage and over, constructed on or after 1 January 2005.
1.2 Oil tankers of 500
gross tonnage and over constructed on or after 1 October 1994 but before 1
January 2005 shall comply with the provisions of regulation II-1/12-2 adopted
by resolution MSC.27(61).
2 Means
of access to cargo and other spaces
2.1 Each space within
the cargo area shall be provided with a permanent means of access to enable,
throughout the life of a ship, overall and close-up inspections and thickness
measurements of the ship’s structures to be carried out by the Administration,
the company, as defined in regulation IX/1, and the ship’s personnel and others
as necessary. Such means of access shall comply with the requirements of
paragraph 5 and with the Technical provisions for means of access for
inspections, adopted by the Maritime Safety Committee by resolution MSC.133(76), as
may be amended by the Organization, provided that such amendments are adopted,
brought into force and take effect in accordance with the provisions of article
VIII of the present Convention concerning the amendment procedures applicable
to the Annex other than chapter I.
2.2 Where a permanent
means of access may be susceptible to damage during normal cargo loading and
unloading operations or where it is impracticable to fit permanent means of
access, the Administration may allow, in lieu thereof, the provision of movable
or portable means of access, as specified in the Technical provisions, provided
that the means of attaching, rigging, suspending or supporting the portable
means of access forms a permanent part of the ship’s structure. All portable
equipment shall be capable of being readily erected or deployed by ship’s
personnel.
2.3 The construction
and materials of all means of access and their attachment to the ship’s
structure shall be to the satisfaction of the Administration. The means of
access shall be subject to survey prior to, or in conjunction with, its use in
carrying out surveys in accordance with regulation I/10.
3 Safe
access to cargo holds, cargo tanks, ballast tanks and other spaces
3.1 Safe access* to
cargo holds, cofferdams, ballast tanks, cargo tanks and other spaces in the
cargo area shall be direct from the open deck and such as to ensure their
complete inspection. Safe access* to double bottom spaces may be from a
pump-room, deep cofferdam, pipe tunnel, cargo hold, double hull space or
similar compartment not intended for the carriage of oil or hazardous cargoes.
_______________________
* Refer to the
Recommendations for entering enclosed spaces aboard ships, adopted by the
Organization by resolution A.864(20).
3.2 Tanks, and
subdivisions of tanks, having a length of 35 m or more, shall be fitted with at
least two access hatchways and ladders, as far apart as practicable. Tanks less
than 35 m in length shall be served by at least one access hatchway and ladder.
When a tank is subdivided by one or more swash bulkheads or similar
obstructions which do not allow ready means of access to the other parts of the
tank, at least two hatchways and ladders shall be fitted.
3.3 Each cargo hold
shall be provided with at least two means of access as far apart as
practicable. In general, these accesses should be arranged diagonally, for
example one access near the forward bulkhead on the port side, the other one
near the aft bulkhead on the starboard side.
4 Ship
structure access manual
4.1 A ship’s means of
access to carry out overall and close-up inspections and thickness measurements
shall be described in a Ship structure access manual approved by the
Administration, an updated copy of which shall be kept on board. The Ship
structure access manual shall include the following for each space in the cargo
area:
.1 plans showing the means of access to the
space, with appropriate technical specifications and dimensions;
.2 plans showing the means of access within
each space to enable an overall inspection to be carried out, with appropriate
technical specifications and dimensions. The plans shall indicate from where
each area in the space can be inspected;
.3 plans showing the means of access within
the space to enable close-up inspections to be carried out, with appropriate
technical specifications and dimensions. The plans shall indicate the positions
of critical structural areas, whether the means of access is permanent or
portable and from where each area can be inspected;
.4 instructions for inspecting and
maintaining the structural strength of all means of access and means of
attachment, taking into account any corrosive atmosphere that may be within the
space;
.5 instructions for safety guidance when
rafting is used for close-up inspections and thickness measurements;
.6 instructions for the rigging and use of
any portable means of access in a safe manner;
.7 an inventory of all portable means of
access; and
.8 records of periodical inspections and
maintenance of the ship’s means of access.
4.2 For the purpose of
this regulation “critical structural areas” are locations which have been
identified from calculations to require monitoring or from the service history
of similar or sister ships to be sensitive to cracking, buckling, deformation
or corrosion which would impair the structural integrity of the ship.
5 General
technical specifications
5.1 For access through
horizontal openings, hatches or manholes, the dimensions shall be sufficient to
allow a person wearing a self-contained air-breathing apparatus and protective
equipment to ascend or descend any ladder without obstruction and also provide
a clear opening to facilitate the hoisting of an injured person from the bottom
of the space. The minimum clear opening shall not be less than 600 mm x 600 mm.
When access to a cargo hold is arranged through the cargo hatch, the top of the
ladder shall be placed as close as possible to the hatch coaming. Access hatch
coamings having a height greater than 900 mm shall also have steps on the
outside in conjunction with the ladder.
5.2 For access through
vertical openings, or manholes, in swash bulkheads, floors, girders and web frames
providing passage through the length and breadth of the space, the minimum
opening shall be not less than 600 mm x 800 mm at a height of not more than 600
mm from the bottom shell plating unless gratings or other foot holds are
provided.
5.3 For oil tankers of
less than 5,000 tonnes deadweight, the Administration may approve, in special
circumstances, smaller dimensions for the openings referred to in paragraphs
5.1 and 5.2, if the ability to traverse such openings or to remove an injured
person can be proved to the satisfaction of the Administration.”
PART
B
SUBDIVISION
AND STABILITY
Regulation
12-2 - Access to spaces in the cargo area of oil tankers
2 The existing regulation 12-2 is
deleted.
PART
C
MACHINERY
INSTALLATIONS
Regulation 31 - Machinery control
3 The following new subparagraph .10 is
added to paragraph 2 of the regulation:
".10
automation systems shall be designed in
a manner which ensures that threshold warning of impending or imminent slowdown
or shutdown of the propulsion system is given to the officer in charge of the
navigational watch in time to assess navigational circumstances in an
emergency. In particular, the systems shall control, monitor, report, alert and
take safety action to slow down or stop propulsion while providing the officer
in charge of the navigational watch an opportunity to manually intervene,
except for those cases where manual intervention will result in total failure
of the engine and/or propulsion equipment within a short time, for example in
the case of overspeed."
CHAPTER II-2
CONSTRUCTION FIRE PROTECTION, FIRE DETECTION AND FIRE EXTINCTION
Regulation 3 - Definitions
4 In paragraph 20,
the words “regulation VII/2” are replaced by the words “the IMDG Code, as
defined in regulation VII/1.1”.
Regulation 19 - Carriage of
dangerous goods
5 In table 19.3, in
vertical columns 7 and 8 (concerning flashpoints of class 3), the numbers “3.1
3.2” and “3.3”, respectively, are replaced by the number “3”.
6 In table 19.3, in
vertical column 13 (concerning class 5.2), the character “X” in rows 15
(concerning paragraph 3.10.1) and 16 (concerning paragraph 3.10.2) is replaced
by the character “X16“ and a new note 16 is added as follows:
“16 Under the
provisions of the IMDG Code, as amended, stowage of class 5.2 dangerous goods
under deck or in enclosed ro-ro spaces is prohibited.”
CHAPTER III
LIFE-SAVING
APPLIANCES AND ARRANGEMENTS
Regulation 26 - Additional
requirements for ro-ro passenger ships
7 The following new
subparagraph .4 is added at the end of paragraph 1:
".4
before 1 July 2004 shall comply with
the requirements of paragraph 2.5 not later than the first survey on or after
that date."
8 The following new
subparagraph .5 is added at the end of paragraph 2:
".5 Liferafts
carried on ro-ro passenger ships shall be fitted with a radar transponder* in
the ratio of one transponder for every four liferafts. The transponder shall be
mounted inside the liferaft so its antenna is more than one metre above the sea
level when the liferaft is deployed, except that for canopied reversible
liferafts the transponder shall be so arranged as to be readily accessed and
erected by survivors. Each transponder shall be arranged to be manually erected
when the liferaft is deployed. Containers of liferafts fitted with transponders
shall be clearly marked.
_____________
* Refer to the Performance standards for survival craft radar
transponders for use in search and rescue operations, adopted by the
Organization by resolution A.802(19).”
CHAPTER XII
ADDITIONAL
SAFETY MEASURES FOR BULK CARRIERS
9 The following new regulations 12 and 13
are added after existing regulation 11: