INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION (IMO): REPORT OF THE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 LONDON 001206 SIPDIS SIPDIS COGARD FOR DC//G-CI/G-L/G-LMI/G-P/G-PS/G-PSE DC//G-CI/G-L/G-LMI/G-P/G-PS/G-PSE/G-PSO/G-PSR / G-PCP/CG-62/CG-7M/G-RPR// STATE PLEASE PASS TO IO/OIC FOR M. MORRISSEY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: IMO AORC ASEC UK SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION (IMO): REPORT OF THE FIFTIETH SESSION OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE (S/C) ON SHIP DESIGN AND EQUIPMENT (DE),LONDON, 5-9 MARCH 2007. ¶1. SUMMARY: The 50th session of the IMO DE S/C met in London 5-9 March 2007, chaired by Mrs. A. Jost (Germany). The session was attended by delegations from 60 member states, one associate member, one non-member state, one intergovernmental organization, and observers from 24 non-governmental organizations in consultive status. Working groups (WG) and drafting groups (DG) were formed to address several of the agenda items. All US objectives were achieved. Accomplishments and outcomes of particular interest include the following: ¶A. Review of MEPC.1/Circ.511 and relevant MARPOL Annex I and Annex VI requirements - The S/C began a review of MEPC.1/Circ.511 and relevant MARPOL Annexes I and VI requirements, concerning legislative and implementation aspects related to prevention of operational oil pollution from ships, based on submissions to MEPC ¶55. The S/C agreed to establish a working group at DE 51, and also established an intersessional correspondence group to be coordinated by Denmark to further work on this item. ¶B. Life-saving appliances - The S/C established a life-saving appliances (LSA) working group chaired by the US to consider matters related to agenda items on compatibility of life-saving appliances, measures to prevent accidents with lifeboats, test standards for extended service intervals of inflatable liferafts, amendment of Res. A.760(18),performance standards for recovery systems, and consideration of IACS unified interpretations. ¶C. Performance standards for protective coatings - The S/C completed its work on a draft performance standard for protective coatings for void spaces on tankers and bulk carriers for approval by MSC 83. ¶D. Mandatory emergency towing systems in ships other than tankers of not less than 20,000 dwt - The S/C completed its work on drafting SOLAS amendments and complementary guidelines to require new and existing ships over 500 gt to have an emergency towing procedure for approval by MSC 83. END SUMMARY. ¶2. Amendments to Resolution A.744(18) - The S/C agreed to draft amendments to Annex A of Assembly Resolution A.744(18) - Guidelines on the Enhanced Programme of Inspections During Surveys of Bulk Carriers and Oil Tankers - for survey guidelines for double-skin bulk carriers for approval at MSC 83. The S/C also included procedural requirements for surveyor monitoring of thickness measurements as part of these draft amendments. The S/C agreed to establish an intersessional correspondence group coordinated by Japan to prepare a justification to expand the work on amendments to A.744(18) to harmonize the ESP Guidelines with the relevant IACS Unified Requirements regarding survey guidelines for both oil tankers and double-hull oil tankers, as well as bulk carriers. The S/C also agreed to prepare draft amendments to A.744(18) for inclusion of requirements for provision and maintenance of as-built drawings covering items such as machinery installations, electrical installations and control systems, and will submit a report to DE ¶51. ¶3. Performance standards for protective coatings - The S/C finalized a draft performance standard for protective coatings of void spaces on new tankers and bulk carriers for approval at MSC 83. This draft standard may become mandatory pending a decision by MSC ¶83. The S/C established a working group chaired by the US to finalize the draft performance standard for protective coatings of void spaces on the basis of the intersessional correspondence group report coordinated by China. ¶4. Inspection and survey requirements for accommodation ladders - The S/C agreed to a draft SOLAS chapter II-1 regulation on Means of embarkation on and disembarkation from ships, as well as a draft MSC circular on Guidelines for construction, maintenance and inspection of accommodation ladders and gangways, for approval at MSC 83. The new regulation will result in coverage of this equipment under the survey requirements in SOLAS chapter I. ¶5. Mandatory emergency towing systems in ships other than tankers of not less than 20,000 dwt - The S/C established a drafting group chaired by Germany, which followed terms of reference developed by the US to finalize draft SOLAS amendments that would require all new and existing ships subject to SOLAS to have an emergency towing procedure. The S/C also finalized an MSC circular providing guidelines to the shipowner in developing ship-specific emergency towing procedures. Procedures are to include drawings of fore and aft deck showing possible emergency towing arrangements, inventory of equipment available on board that can be used for emergency towing, means and methods of communication, and sample procedures to facilitate the preparation for and conducting of emergency towing operations. LONDON 00001206 002 OF 004 ¶6. Development of provisions for gas-fuelled ships - This item is also being considered by FP and BLG. The S/C noted that BLG 10 established an intersessional correspondence group, coordinated by Norway, to develop interim guidelines for gas-fuelled ships with a view to finalize these guidelines at BLG 12 (2008) for submission to MSC 84 for approval, and to start development of a draft International Code of Safety for Gas-Fuelled Engine Installations in Ships using these interim guidelines as a basis. ¶7. Consideration of IACS Unified Interpretations - The S/C agreed in principle with IACS Unified Interpretation SC 213 identifying safety features for areas where remotely located survival craft are arranged, and agreed to a draft MSC circular on unified interpretation of SOLAS chapter III. ¶8. Review of the SPS (Special Purpose Ships) Code - The S/C considered the report of the correspondence group coordinated by Norway and generally agreed with the draft amendments to the SPS Code as proposed by the correspondence group. The S/C took into account that the SPS Code should generally have the same scope of application as SOLAS, and agreed that all references to class A ships and trainees should be removed from the draft text. The S/C also re-established the intersessional correspondence group again coordinated by Norway to further develop draft amendments to the SPS Code and to submit a report to DE 51. ¶9. Revisions to the Code on Alarms and Indicators - The S/C had general agreement with an IACS proposal for a draft revision of the Code on Alarms and Indicators (DE 50/10/2/Rev.1) and referred this document to NAV, DSC, FP, and BLG for comments on issues under their purview. A working group is planned for DE 51. ¶10. Amendments to the MODU Code - The S/C established a drafting group chaired by Liberia to further develop draft amendments to the MODU Code and agreed to refer certain draft amendments to SLF, FP and COMSAR for consideration. The S/C also established an intersessional correspondence group coordinated by Liberia to further develop draft amendments to the MODU Code and submit a report to DE 51. Several delegations expressed the view that the MODU Code should be made mandatory. ¶11. Measures to prevent accidents with lifeboats - The S/C agreed that the design criteria for free-fall lifeboat seats should be updated with larger size/weight criteria on the basis that sizes of mariners have increased globally, and that a larger seat provides better restraint and support and is safer for a large occupant, in terms of avoiding head and back injuries. The S/C agreed in principle with a UK proposal that lifeboat on-load release gear require "passive locking", i.e., if there is a failure of any part of the system, or the hook is not completely locked, it will fail "safe", or to the closed, locked position under load. The S/C did not agree to a related proposal for phased replacement of all existing release gear not complying with the proposed new requirement, in view of the wide variety of designs of gear on existing ships and the potential impact of implementation of the maintenance and testing requirements in MSC.1/Circ.1206 in the future. With regard to mandatory implementation of MSC.1/Circ.1206 (Annex 1) Guidelines for servicing and maintenance of lifeboats, launching appliances and on load release gear, the S/C agreed that consistent application of the provisions relating to training and certification of servicing personnel and organizations bQe manufacturer, and adequate geographical coverage of manufacturers' representation, are essential prerequisites. The S/C established a LSA correspondence group, coordinated by the US, to prepare appropriate draft amendments to the LSA Code and the Revised recommendation on testing of life-saving appliances (resolution MSC.81(70)),and to develop guidance, along the lines of Res. A.761(18) for inflatable liferafts, for qualification and certification of personnel or organizations carrying out work under MSC.1/Circ.1206. The S/C also agreed that ILAMA should report to the next session of the S/C on the status of establishment of servicing coverage worldwide. Finally, the S/C developed a new functional definition of "unfavourable conditions of trim and list", to replace the references in SOLAS Chapter III to 10 degrees of trim and 20 degrees of list with regard to the installation and operation of various life-saving appliances, for further consideration by the LSA correspondence group and by the SLF S/C. ¶12. Compatibility of life-saving appliances - The S/C agreed that the design criteria for davit-launched lifeboats on cargo ships should be adjusted to take into account the increasing size of seafarers globally. In considering the impact of immersion suit wear on seating capacity in light of a recent casualty, the S/C LONDON 00001206 003.2 OF 004 agreed that guidance should be developed concerning the wearing of immersion suits in totally enclosed lifeboats, with regard to the risk of dehydration and over-heating. The S/C referred these matters to the LSA correspondence group for further development. ¶13. Test standards for extended service intervals of inflatable liferafts - The S/C referred the matter to an intersessional correspondence group under coordination of Denmark to take into account wider industry input. ¶14. Amendments to the Guidelines for ships operating in Arctic ice-covered waters - The S/C considered the proposals by the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) to apply the guidelines to the Antarctic as well as the Arctic, and agreed that the guidelines also needed to be generally updated in order to take into account technical developments since their approval in 2002, especially with regard to damage stability, double bottoms, and the carriage of pollutants in spaces adjacent to the outer hull. Additionally, the S/C decided that this update should also consider the peculiarities of the Southern hemisphere with regard to environmental and port State control issues and take into account the IACS Unified Requirements for polar ships and the Finnish ice navigation rules. Additionally, the S/C noted that special consideration should be given to passenger ships that only visit the Polar Regions in summer. ¶15. Guidelines for uniform operating limitations of high-speed craft - The S/C agreed to establish a correspondence group, to be coordinated by Australia, to develop draft guidelines for uniform operating limitations of high-speed craft taking into account contributions from COMSAR, NAV and SLF. ¶16. Guidelines for maintenance and repair of protective coatings - The S/C noted that in the context of draft amendments to SOLAS regulation II-1/3-2 concerning maintenance and repair of protective coatings, MSC 81 tasked DE to develop guidelines, and therefore established a correspondence group to be coordinated by China to consider this item. ¶17. Requirements and standard for corrosion protection of permanent means of access arrangements - The S/C referred this issue to the correspondence group that was established to consider the item on Guidelines for maintenance and repair of protective coatings. The correspondence group was instructed to give recommendations to DE 51 taking into account views expressed in plenary. ¶18. Revision of Resolution A.760(18) - The S/C agreed to forward a new infant lifejacket symbol to MSC 83 for approval and circulation to members to use in connection with early implementation of requirements for carriage of infant lifejackets which will enter into force in 2010, and for inclusion in a future amendment to Res. A.760(18). ¶19. Guidelines for the approval of novel life-saving appliances - The S/C agreed to refer the issue to the intersessional LSA correspondence group for development of guidelines for approval of novel life-saving appliances on the basis of Res. A.520(13) as an initial working draft. ¶20. Performance standards for means of recovery - The S/C referred the matter to the LSA correspondence group for further consideration on the basis of a proposal by Germany for performance-based requirements for this functionality, which the MSC intends to be applicable to all ships no later than 2012. ¶21. Review of MEPC.1/Circ.511 and relevant MARPOL Annex I and Annex VI requirements - The S/C began review of MEPC.1/Circ.511 and relevant MARPOL Annex I and Annex VI requirements concerning legislative and implementation aspects related to prevention of operational oil pollution from ships, based on a number of submissions to MEPC 55. The S/C agreed to establish a working group at the next session and established an intersessional correspondence group to be coordinated by Denmark to, among other things: 1) develop draft amendments to MARPOL Annex I concerning definitions for engine-room bilge water, oil residues (sludge),bilge water holding tanks and oil residues (sludge) holding tanks; 2) draft amendments to the IOPP Certificate, Forms A and B; 3) draft amendments to regulation 16 of MARPOL Annex VI concerning incinerator capacity; 4) draft Supplementary Guidelines on approval of bilge and sludge handling systems for compliance with the revised MARPOL Annex I; and 5) draft amendments to the Revised Guidelines for systems for handling oily wastes in machinery spaces of ships LONDON 00001206 004.2 OF 004 (MEPC.1/Circ.511). ¶22. Applicability of SOLAS II-1/3-6 in the case of single-hull tankers converting to double-hull tankers - The S/C noted that MSC 82 endorsed the view from DE 49 that SOLAS regulation II-1/3-6 should not apply to tankers converting from single-hull to double-hull; however, if, in the course of conversion, substantial new structures are added, these new structures should comply with the regulation. For the case of existing tankers converting to FPSOs/FSUs, the regulation would not apply. MSC 82 had also instructed the S/C to develop an interpretation of SOLAS regulations II-1/1.3 and II-1/3-6. The S/C gave this item a preliminary review and is scheduled to finalize this item at its next session. ¶23. Chairman/date of next meeting - The S/C unanimously reelected Mrs. A. Jost (Germany) as chairman for 2008. Mrs. Xiang Yang (China) was unanimously re-elected as vice chairman. The fifty-first session of the DE S/C is tentatively scheduled for 18-22 February 2008. TUTTLE