By
Cherie Rowlands |
The IMO Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) agreed changes to passenger safety rules and draft amendments at the organisation’s 91st session, held between 26-30 November.
The committee decided that – as a result of the Costa Concordia incident – rules requiring passenger safety drills to take place prior to or immediately upon port departure, should be mandatory.
Draft amendments to the ‘life-saving appliances and arrangements’ of the International Convention of the Safety of Life at Sea now require musters of newly embarked passengers to take place immediately on departure – current regulations state 'within 24 hours' – for any voyage where passengers are to be on board for longer than 24 hours. The amendments will be considered at the next MSC meeting in June 2013 and if adopted, these could be in force by end of 2014.
The committee also agreed a revised circular on recommended operational measures, before the adoption of mandatory measures resulting from the official marine accident investigation report into the Costa Concordia sinking.
The MSC is an observer on the body overseeing the Concordia casualty investigation and has been given the preliminary findings by the Italian Government.