Committee On Ship Design And Equipment News

The 2023 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea has been presented to Caleb Halle, Aviation Survival Technician Second Class (AST2) of the United States Coast Guard (USCG). He was recognized for the outstanding courage, endurance and determination he showed during the rescue of the seven-strong crew of the tugboat Legacy in January 2023.AST2 Halle, based at the Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, received the award at the annual IMO Awards Ceremony in London. The ceremony…

Germany's Anneliese Jost has been selected as the recipient of the International Maritime Prize for 2022, the the International Maritime Organization (IMO) announced. The decision was made by the IMO Council at its 129th session, being held July 17-21, after Jost was nominated for the award by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany.In its statement supporting her nomination for the prize, Germany cited Jost's "crucial contribution towards achieving the objectives of IMO…

A different kind of emission in the compliance spotlight – above and below decks. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Equipment during its 2012, 56th session submitted a draft revised code on noise levels onboard ships. The code set out mandatory noise level limits for machinery spaces, control rooms, workshops, cargo blocks and accommodation spaces in an effort to address health and safety issues on board ships, ATB’s and/or tugboats.

Development of an international code of safety for ships operating in polar waters (Polar Code). IMO is developing a draft mandatory International Code of safety for ships operating in polar waters (Polar Code), to cover the full range of design, construction, equipment, operational, training, search and rescue and environmental protection matters relevant to ships operating in the inhospitable waters surrounding the two poles. The work is being co-ordinated by the  Sub-Committee on Ship Desgin and Construction (SDC)  - formerly the  Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Equipment (DE). At its first session (20 to 24 January 2014), the SDC…

Development of an international code of safety for ships operating in polar waters (Polar Code), IMO is developing a draft mandatory International Code of safety for ships operating in polar waters (Polar Code). The work is being coordinated by the  Sub-Committee on Ship Desgin and Construction (SDC)  - formerly the  Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Equipment (DE). During 2013, the DE sub-Committee  made significant progress in further developing the draft Polar Code, in particular with the finalization of a draft chapter on environmental protection.

The IMO’s Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Equipment (DE) is working on a mandatory Code for ships operating in Polar waters — widely known as the Polar Code, to supplement other regulatory instruments, including SOLAS and MARPOL. The Code will seek to address the specific risks relating to operations in Polar waters, taking into account the extreme environmental conditions and the remoteness of many locations. The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), set up in 1991, to advocate and promote safe and environmentally responsible private sector travel to the Antarctic, represents over 100 private sector companies – the majority of which are passenger ship operators.

Lifeboat manufacturer and service provider Schat-Harding says IMO and some parts of the shipping industry need to move more quickly to a consensus on vital lifeboat safety issues which have important consequences for the safety of seafarers. David Bradley, vice president operations, Schat-Harding Service says, “Good things are worth waiting for. But there is such a thing as waiting too long. The IMO debate over lifeboat hooks has gone on for too long. Seafarers deserve better.

Draft guidelines to ensure release mechanisms for lifeboats are replaced with those complying with new, stricter safety standards have been agreed by IMO’s Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Equipment (DE), 53rd session, in order to reduce the number of accidents involving lifeboats, particularly those which have occurred during drills or inspection. The draft Guidelines for evaluation and replacement of lifeboat on-load release mechanisms will be submitted to the Maritime Safety Committee in May (MSC 87) for approval, alongside the anticipated adoption of amendments to the International Life-Saving Appliances (LSA) Code and the Recommendation on testing of LSA…

The Shipping Coordinating Committee, sponsored by the US Department of State, will hold two meetings in Washington, DC. The first meeting, on January 22, is to prepare for the upcoming session of the IMO Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Equipment. Topics on the agenda include the longitudinal strength of tankers and prevention of accidents with lifeboats. The second meeting, on January 30, is to prepare for the upcoming session of IMO Sub-Committee on Bulk Liquids and Gases. Topics on the agenda include evaluation of safety and pollution hazards of chemicals and requirements for carriage of bio-fuels and bio-fuel blends. 73 Fed. Reg. 1394 (HK Law).

IMO Secretary, General William O'Neil, has highlighted the need for widespread and concerted efforts to improve bulk carrier safety. Among other items on a busy agenda, the Sub-Committee has been requested by the Maritime Safety Committee to work on a number of tasks related to bulk carrier safety that emerged from the recommendations of the re-opened formal investigation into the loss of the m.v. Derbyshire. Specifically, the Sub-Committee will be looking at alternative means of sealing up anchor chain pipes to prevent water entry and whether access to chain lockers should be by bolted manholes and not doors. It will also be considering…

The International Maritime Prize for 2001 will be awarded posthumously to Dr. Italian classification society Registro Italiano Navale. William A. O'Neil, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, will present the prize to Dr. their two sons Leone and Riccardo during a special ceremony today on December 4 at IMO's London Headquarters. died at his home in March 2001 after suffering a heart attack. He was 60. delegation. after as a chairman both of sub-committees and other groups. Committee in 1994. of the International Safety Management Code. element aspects. major operation soon after he took over the chairmanship of the MSC. himself fit for duty even before he had completely recovered. contribution to the work and objectives of IMO. safety.

The possibility of a future regulatory regime in which newbuild bulk carriers over a certain size would need to be double-hulled has moved a step closer towards becoming a reality. In March this year, the International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s sub-committee on ship design and equipment (DE46) started work drafting potential revisions to the SOLAS Convention. The DE initiative followed the agreement at the 76th session of IMO's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC76) that a regulation for double side skin construction should be considered for new bulkers of 492 ft. (150 m)-plus. The task of drawing up the SOLAS revisions necessary for instituting double hulls, if this is indeed to become a mandatory requirement, is not scheduled to be concluded until the DE47 sub-committee meeting in 2004.

A revised Annex B to the 1988 Load Lines Protocol and amendments to the enhanced survey programme for bulk carriers and oil tankers are expected to be adopted when IMO's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) meets at the Organization's London Headquarters for its 77th session from 28 May to 6 June. Other major issues on the MSC agenda include the implementation of security measures adopted in December 2002, places of refuge, the safety of bulk carriers, the proposed IMO Model Audit Scheme and implementation of the revised STCW Convention. The MSC (including Parties to the 1988 Load Lines Protocol) is expected to adopt what amounts to a comprehensive revision of the technical regulations of the original Load Lines Convention.