Maritime Safety Committee

IMO: Piracy Up 4%

The IMO issued a Maritime Safety Committee circular providing the annual report for 2002 of reports on acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships. The number of such acts reported to the IMO during 2002 was 383, an increase of 4% over the figure for 2001. The most affected area was the Far East, with 140 incidents reported in the South China Sea alone. MSC.4/Circ.32 http://www.imo.org/includes/blastDataOnly.asp/data_id=7215/32-b&w.pdf (Source: Haight Gardner Holland & Knight “Maritime Items”)

Revised Standards for Ship Security Alert systems

The Singapore Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) issued a circular to its shipowners advising them that the IMO Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) recently revised the performance standards for a ship security alert system. Marine Circular No. 23 of 2003 Source: HK Law

U.S. Shipping Coordinating Committee - Meetings

The U.S. Shipping Coordinating Committee (SHC), sponsored by the Department of State, will conduct two meetings in Washington, DC. The November 26 meeting will finalize preparations for the 76th Session of the IMO Maritime Safety Committee. Items on the agenda include large passenger vessel safety, bulk carrier safety, and measures to enhance maritime security. This meeting will also finalize preparations for the International

SCC to Meet May 1

The Shipping Coordinating Committee, sponsored by the US Department of State, will meet in Washington, DC on May 1. The purpose of the meeting is to prepare for the upcoming session of the IMO Maritime Safety Committee. Topics on the agenda include: long range identification and tracking of ships; amendments to the IMDG Code and the STCW Convention; passenger ship safety; and measures to enhance maritime security. 71 Fed. Reg

RINA creates Giuliano Pattofatto scholarship

Italian classification society RINA has created a scholarship to honor the memory of Giuliano Pattofatto, technical director of RINA and former chairman of IMO's Maritime Safety Committee, who died last year. The scholarship will be awarded annually to a final year student in Naval Architecture at the University of Genoa. It will fund an internship at the International Maritime Organisation, to allow the student to understand the processes of international ship safety regulation.

Passenger ship safety recommendations agreed by IMO’s MSC

Recommended interim measures to enhance passenger ship safety, were agreed by IMO's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), at its latest meeting in London Recommended interim measures aimed at enhancing the safety of passenger ships, in the wake of the Costa Concordia incident in January, were agreed by IMO's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), when it met at the Organization's London Headquarters for its 90th session from 16 to 25 May 2012.

IMO Head Defends Ship Size, Regs

According to the head of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the world’s largest ships are well regulated and safe, Bloomberg news agency reported following an interview.  In the wake of the dramatic Costa Concordia casualty nearly three weeks ago off the coast of Italy, continued coverage by mainstream media has again put the maritime industry in a harsh light, with everything under scrutiny: from crew nationality and training procedure; to the Captain’s

Global Cruise Industry Adopts New Safety Policies

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) &  European Cruise Council (ECC) announce that the cruise industry has adopted two new safety policies The new policies address issues related to the recording of passenger nationality and the common elements of musters and emergency instructions, resulting from the Cruise Industry Operational Safety Review launched in January 2012. The Nationality of Passengers policy was developed in response to the request of governments at the May

LR Statuatory Alert:

Amendments to the IAMSAR Manual to come into effect on 1 July, 2013. Applicability: All shipowners, operators and managers. Amendments to the International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue (IAMSAR) Manual will come into effect on 1 July. 2013*. These are detailed in the IMO Circular, MSC.1/Circ. 1415. The amendments reflect recent changes made to the carriage requirements for radiocommunication equipment on ships, and include significant updates to volume III of the Manual

Vessel Damage Stability: IMO Sub-Committee Completes Review

The IMO’s Sub-committee on Stability and Load Lines & on Fishing Vessels Safety (SLF) has reviewed and finalised the draft Guidelines. The Sub-committee had, at its last meeting in January 2012 also developed draft amendments to mandatory instruments. These amendments to MARPOL Annex I, IBC, BCH, GC and IGC Codes as well as the Guidelines under the Harmonized System of Survey and Certification (HSSC) were also reviewed and finalised at this meeting.