News: SOLAS amendments entering into force on 1 January 2020

While the latest amendments to MARPOL annex VI which entered into force on 1 January 2020 limiting the SOx emissions from ships has been the centre of attention for the past many months and is considered by many as the greatest change the shipping industry has seen in the last many years, there have been several important amendments to SOLAS which also entered into force on 1 January 2020.

These amendments were adopted during the various MSC sessions between 2016 and 2018 and revise the SOLAS and the various International codes made mandatory under the convention.

The club recently updated on the latest amendments concerning life boat maintenance and planning for evacuation from cruise ships (this news item can be found in the link on the right).

Some of the other key SOLAS amendments which entered into force on 1 January 2020 are:

Subdivision and damage stability

Following a substantive review which took into account recommendations arising from the investigation into the 2012 COSTA CONCORDIA casualty, a set of amendments to SOLAS chapter II-1 relating to subdivision and  stability entered into force, amending, among other things, the regulations on the required subdivision of passenger ships to increase their safety, as well as regulations related to the stability information to be provided to a ship's master. 

IMDG Code (Amendment 39-18)

In line with the recommendations from the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods the latest amendments include:

• new provisions regarding IMO type 9 tank
• a set of new abbreviations for segregation groups
• special provisions for carriage of lithium batteries and of vehicles powered by flammable liquid or gas

Please see the full list of amendments to the IMDG code here

 
Full list of SOLAS amendments which entered into force on 1 January 2020 are available here.