Outcome of the 11th session of the IMO Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction

In the course of the session, amendments to a number of mandatory IMO instruments were drafted, including:

• the 1966 International Convention on Load Lines (CLL) in regard to fitting of guard rails around all openings and wells accessible to the crew;
• the International Code of Safety for Ships Carrying Industrial Personnel (IP Code) in relation to assuming the mass of each industrial personnel to be 90 kg in ship stability calculations;
• the International Code on the Enhanced Programme of Inspections during Surveys of Bulk Carriers and Oil Tankers (ESP Code) as regards remote inspection techniques and the certification procedures for firms engaged in remote inspections of hull structures.

Whilst the effective date for the amendments to the requirements for ships carrying industrial personnel is not yet determined, other amendments developed, if adopted by the Maritime Safety Committee, will take effect on 1 January 2028.

In addition, the Sub-Committee began developing amendments to SOLAS chapter II-1 to update the requirements for traditional and non-traditional propulsion and steering systems while considering technological innovations. The amendments are expected to be finalized by 2028 and enter into force in 2032.

Apart from revising IMO mandatory instruments, the Sub-Committee has undertaken extensive work to update non-mandatory documents.

• The draft revision of the IMO Code on Alerts and Indicators has been prepared scheduled for adoption in December this year. The document includes references to shipboard alarms and indicators required by mandatory IMO instruments in force since the adoption of the Code in 2009.
• The draft Interim Guidelines for Emergency Towing Arrangements on Ships other than Tankers as well as the draft amendments to the Revised Guidance on Shipboard Towing and Mooring Equipment have been finalized. The documents are expected to be approved by IMO bodies in 2025 in accordance with the established procedures.

Other focus points included the reduction of underwater radiated noise from commercial shipping. The Sub-Committee made a number of organizational decisions aimed at collecting and analyzing scientific data, identifying knowledge gaps on the impact of anthropogenic underwater noise on marine life, assessing the outcomes of applying IMO recommendations and developing further measures to reduce underwater radiated noise based on accumulated experience and best practices.