By
Michele Witthaus |
Industry responses to the Concordia disaster have been marked by an emphasis on the need for a fresh look at safety rules.
In an address to the IMO Sub-Committee on Stability, Load Lines and Fishing Vessel Safety on Monday, IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu offered his condolences to the families of those affected by the Concordia disaster and said: “I would like to urge the Flag State administration to carry out the casualty investigation covering all aspects of this accident and provide the findings to the IMO under the provisions of SOLAS as soon as possible.” He added: “IMO must not take this accident lightly. We should seriously consider the lessons to be learnt and, if necessary, re-examine the regulations on the safety of large passenger ships in the light of the findings of the casualty investigation.”
Meanwhile, Richard Vogel, CEO of TUI Cruises, told a press conference on board the line’s Mein Schiff 2 that TUI had decided in the light of the Concordia accident to revise its own guidelines for the timing of onboard safety demonstrations, and would now require them to be carried out before its ships set sail. It had previously adhered to its own 12-hour limit within the legislated 24-hour maximum window within which such demonstrations must be performed.