Health & Safety

The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) has introduced new recommendations to enhance safety standards for surveyors.
The new guidelines, Rec. 184, recognise that surveyors continue to face significant occupational health and safety (OHS) risks at work.
There is growing recognition that some of the safety challenges that surveyors’ face would benefit from improved collaboration and sharing of experience to establish a more consistent approach.
Designed to creating safer working conditions for surveyors and all personnel engaged in maritime operations, these guidelines outline critical measures to mitigate risks and addresses key areas such as risk assessments and situational awareness, ensuring that they are equipped to handle the hazards they may encounter. Continue reading “IACS releases new guidelines on safety standards for surveyors”

The European Union has adopted Directive 2023/946, which amends the “water on deck” damage stability requirements for ro-ro passenger ships in Directive 2003/25/EC.

This new directive is intended to align the EU’s stability requirements with the enhanced standards established by SOLAS 2020.

Since 5 December 2024, the new directive 2023/946 is applicable for new and existing ro-ro passenger ships engaged on international voyages that operate regularly to or from a port of an EU Member State, and which have never been certified in accordance with this directive or the previous Directive Continue reading “Lloyd’s Register: New directive 2023/946 for ro-ro passenger ships”

The Marine Department of the Hong Kong SAR has published note on the amendments to the International Life-Saving Appliance Code (LSA Code) and the Revised Recommendation on Testing of Life-Saving Appliances.
The amendments, which will enter force on 1 January 2026, decisions made following the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee 108th session earlier this year. Continue reading “Hong Kong SAR note on amendments to LSA code”

The International Maritime Pilots’ Association (IMPA) has partnered with the Canadian National Centre of Expertise on Maritime Pilotage (NCEMP) and the Canadian Coast Guard to rigorously explore remote pilotage to ground-truth its feasibility, readiness, and impacts on safe navigation practices and systems.
Launched this summer, the study is specifically designed to deliver unbiased, science-based and authoritative insights into pilotage as a socio-technical system and the readiness, risks, impacts, benefits, opportunities, and prerequisites of remote pilotage.
A crucial part of the work is to conduct trials which will take place over the next two years in three different ways to ensure Continue reading “IMPA study on remote pilotage reaches out to manufacturers and system integrators”