IMO: New Rules for Passenger Safety
IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), meeting at the organization’s London Headquarters for its 91st session from 26 to 30 November 2012, agreed that rules to require passenger safety drills to take place prior to, or immediately upon, departure should be made mandatory, in the wake of the Costa Concordia incident.
The Committee approved draft amendments to chapter III (Life-saving appliances and arrangements) of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) to require musters of newly embarked passengers prior to or immediately upon departure, instead of "within 24 hours", as stated in the current regulations, for a ship engaged on a voyage where passengers are scheduled to be on board for more than 24 hours. The draft amendments will now be circulated for consideration, with a view to adoption, at the next session, MSC 92, in June 2013. They could enter into force at the end of 2014.
DATE:2012.12.3