Extensive work on bulk carrier safety coordinated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) with international participation is now complete, and a final report of the study results has been submitted to the Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for consideration at their meeting on December 2nd to December 13th 2002. The United Kingdom has been fully committed to addressing bulk carrier safety following the loss of the MV Derbyshire in 1980 with the loss of 44 lives. Bulk carrier safety has a poor record with over 500 ship casualties resulting in the loss of more than 2000 lives in the period from 1978 to the present date.