IMO to approve new SOLAS chapter on safety measures for ships operating in polar waters
At its 94th session in London IMO's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) has decided to introduce amendments into the regulations of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) on safety measures for ships operating in polar waters, IAA PortNews was told by a source in RF Ministry of Transport participating in the meeting.
New SOLAS chapter XIV says that all vessels operating in polar waters should comply with the requirements of the Polar Code which is to be adopted at MSC 94 by the end of the week.
New requirements will come into effect on January 1, 2017.
The draft Polar Code covers the full range of design, construction, equipment, operational, training, search and rescue and environmental protection matters relevant to ships operating in waters surrounding the two poles. The environmental provisions add additional requirements to those already contained in MARPOL, to be applied to ships operating in the polar waters. As the Antarctic area is already established as a Special Area under MARPOL Annexes I and V, with stringent restrictions on discharges, the Polar Code aims to replicate many of those provisions in the Arctic area.
Related link:
Russia’s position on Polar Code partly taken into account at MEPC 67 >>>>
