Reg News Updates - Solas 97


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News & Events • Regulatory Information • International Regulatory News Updates • Solas 97

Resolutions

The Conference also adopted a number of Resolutions, including one which urges Contracting Governments to interpret the vague definition of “bulk carrier” in SOLAS for the purpose of the application of Chapter XII and ISM code compliance deadlines to mean:

ships constructed with single deck, top-side tanks and hopper side tanks in cargo spaces and intended primarily to carry dry cargo in bulk, or
ore carriers, i.e. a single deck ship having two longitudinal bulkheads and a double bottom throughout the cargo region and intended for the carriage of ore cargoes in the center holds only, or
combination carriers, i.e. a tanker designed to carry oil or alternatively solid cargoes in bulk.

This “narrow” interpretation is intended to avoid confusion over which ships are required to meet the ISM code compliance date of 1 July 1998 and which ships should be required to comply with the new Chapter XII until IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) can remove the ambiguity which exists in the definition of the term “bulk carrier” in SOLAS and find ways to easily identify ships subject to the requirements.

The USA, Canada, Liberia and South Africa reserved their positions on this resolution and will further consider how they intend to deal with the ambiguous definition of “bulk carrier” for vessels flying their flags and in their port state control activities. These Contracting Governments are expected to issue notices on this issue prior to 1 July 1998. The “narrow” interpretation is in line with IACS Unified Requirements for application of enhanced surveys (which are also being used for application of ISM code compliance purposes) and structural requirements for new and existing bulk carriers;

Another Resolution invites the MSC, as a matter of urgency, to further consider the safety of bulk carriers not covered by Chapter XII, in particular:

bulk carriers less than 150 m length;
new bulk carriers of double skin construction;
single side skin bulk carriers carrying solid bulk cargoes with density less than 1.78 tons/cubic meter;
bulk carriers with insufficient number of cargo holds to satisfy reg XII/4.2 (damage stability);
ships other than bulk carriers with single side skin construction intended to carry bulk cargoes
and to develop appropriate requirements, recommendations and/or guidelines, as necessary, and
develop a definition of single side skin construction. (The intent of the Conference on this point is to refine the application statement of Chapter XII to require double skin bulk carriers to have a minimum wing space width based on access, inspection and maintenance, and consider single side skin bulkers built, for example, without upper wing tanks to escape from the narrow definition of bulk carrier as per Chapter XII.)

MSC is expected to consider these matters at its 69th session which meets 11-20 May 1998.

An overview of each regulation contained in Chapter XII of SOLAS, and how its requirements relate to IACS requirements as conditions of classification, follows.

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