Solas

The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) was adopted on November 1, 1974,
and went into effect on May 25, 1980. The SOLAS Convention, in its various forms, is widely regarded as
the most important of all international treaties governing the safety of merchant ships. The first version
was implemented in 1914 in response to the Titanic disaster, the second in 1929, the third in 1948, and
the fourth in 1960. The tacit acceptance procedure is included in the 1974 version, which states that an
amendment will enter into force on a specified date unless an agreed number of parties object to the
amendment before that date. The SOLAS Convention's primary goal is to specify minimum standards for
ship construction, equipment, and operation. Flag states are responsible for ensuring that ships flying
their flag meet the requirements of the flag state. Control provisions also permit contracting
governments to inspect ships from other contracting states if there are reasonable grounds to believe
that the ship and its equipment do not substantially comply with the Convention. The current SOLAS
Convention includes Articles setting out general obligations, amendment procedure and so on, followed
by an Annex divided into 14 Chapters.
Chapter 1- General Provisions, regulations governing the survey of various types of ships and the
issuance of documents certifying that the ship complies with the Convention's requirements The
Chapter also includes provisions for ship control in ports belonging to other contracting governments.
Chapter II-1 - Construction - Subdivision and stability, machinery and electrical installations, the
regulations also specify watertight integrity and bilge pumping arrangements for passenger ships. The
degree of subdivision, as measured by the maximum allowable distance between two adjacent
bulkheads, varies with ship length and service. Passenger ships have the greatest degree of subdivison,
while cargo ships have the least. Machine and electrical installation requirements are intended to
ensure that services critical to the ship's, passengers', and crew's safety are maintained under various
emergency conditions. In 2010, "goal-based standards" for oil tankers and bulk carriers were
implemented, requiring new ships to be designed and built for a specific design life. Ships must have
adequate strength, integrity, and stability to reduce the risk of ship loss or pollution to the marine
environment, according to the regulation.
Chapter II-2 - Fire protection, fire detection and fire extinction, includes detailed fire safety provisions
for all ships and specific measures for passenger ships, cargo ships and tankers. They include: thermal
and structural separation of accommodation spaces from the rest of the ship; restricted use of
combustible materials; detection of any fire in the zone of origin; and protection of means of escape or
access for firefighting purposes.
Chapter III - Life-saving appliances and arrangements, the International Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) Code
specifies technical requirements for LSAs and is required by Regulation 34, which states that all life-
saving appliances and arrangements must meet the applicable LSA Code requirements. According to the
type of ship, the Chapter includes requirements for lifeboats, rescue boats, and life jackets.
Chapter IV - Radiocommunications, the chapter incorporates the Global Maritime Distress and Safety
System (GMDSS). All cargo and passenger ships of 300 gross tonnage or greater on international voyages
are required to carry equipment designed to improve their chances of survival. The Chapter is closely
linked to the Radio Regulations of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which came into
force on 1 January 2012.
Chapter V - Safety of navigation, Chapter V specifies the navigation safety services that contracting
governments must provide. This is in contrast to the rest of the convention, which only applies to ships
on international voyages. The subjects covered include the maintenance of meteorological services for
ships; the ice patrol service; routeing of ships; and the maintenance of search and rescue services. This
chapter requires all ships entering or leaving the North Sea to carry voyage data recorders (VDRs) and
automatic ship identification systems (AIS). It also includes a general obligation for masters to assist
those in distress.
Chapter VI - Carriage of Cargoes, The Chapter addresses all types of cargo (except liquids and gases in
bulk) that "may necessitate special precautions due to their particular hazards to ships or persons on
board." The regulations include requirements for cargo stowage and cargo unit security (such as
containers). The International Grain Code is required by the Chapter for cargo ships carrying grain.
Chapter VII - Carriage of dangerous goods, Part A of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code
(IMDG) covers the classification, packing, marking, labeling, and placarding of dangerous goods in
packaged form. Contracting governments are required to issue national-level directives. The
International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code) is constantly being updated to
accommodate new dangerous goods and supplement existing provisions. Part A-1 - Carriage of
dangerous goods in solid form in bulk - covers the documentation, stowage and segregation
requirements for these goods and requires reporting of incidents involving such goods. Part B governs
the design and equipment of ships transporting dangerous liquid chemicals in bulk and requires
chemical tankers to adhere to the International Bulk Chemical Code (IBC Code). Part C addresses the
design and construction of ships transporting liquefied gases in bulk and gas carriers in accordance with
the International Gas Carrier Code (IGC Code). Part D includes special requirements for the carriage of
irradiated nuclear fuel, plutonium and high-level radioactive wastes on board ships.
Chapter VIII - Nuclear ships, It provides basic requirements for nuclear-powered ships, with a focus on
radiation hazards. It refers to the IMO Assembly's detailed and comprehensive Code of Safety for
Nuclear Merchant Ships, which was adopted in 1981.
Chapter IX - Management for the Safe Operation of Ships, The Chapter makes the International Safety
Management (ISM) Code mandatory, requiring the shipowner or any person who has assumed
responsibility for the ship to establish a safety management system (the "company").
Chapter X - Safety measures for high-speed craft, The Chapter makes mandatory the International Code
of Safety for High-Speed Craft (HSC Code).
Chapter XI-1 - Special measures to enhance maritime safety, The Chapter clarifies requirements relating
to authorization of recognized organizations and enhanced surveys, as well as ship identification number
schemes.
Chapter XI-2 - Special measures to enhance maritime security, The International Ship and Port Facilities
Security Code is codified in Chapter XI-2/3 (ISPS Code). Part A of the Code is mandatory, and Part B
provides guidance on how to best meet the mandatory requirements. Regulation XI-2/8 confirms the
master's role in exercising professional judgment over decisions necessary to maintain the ship's
security. It states that he is not bound by the company, the charterer, or anyone else in this regard.
Regulation XI-2/5 requires that all ships have a ship security alert system. ISPS Regulation XI-2/6
addresses port facility requirements, requiring contracting governments to conduct port facility security
assessments. Security plans for port facilities are developed, implemented, and reviewed in accordance
with the ISPS Code. Other regulations in this chapter address ship control (including measures such as
delay, detention, restriction of operations including movement within the port, or expulsion of a ship
from port) and the specific responsibility of companies.
Chapter XII - Additional safety measures for bulk carriers, The Chapter includes structural requirements
for bulk carriers over 150 metres in length.
Chapter XIII - Verification of compliance, makes mandatory from 1 January 2016 the IMO Member State
Audit Scheme.
Chapter XIV - Safety measures for ships operating in polar waters, the chapter makes mandatory, from 1
January 2017, the Introduction and part I-A of the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters
(the Polar Code).

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The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) was adopted on November 1, 1974,

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