Chapters of SOLAS

        International Convention of Safety Of Life At Sea is to specify minimum standards for the construction, equipment and operation of ships, compatible with their safety.

SOLAS has been laid down into the following chapters:-

 

 CHAPTER I - General Provisions

• Includes regulations concerning the survey and certifications on all safety items to the ships that meet the requirement of the Convention  

 

Chapter II-1 - Construction - Subdivision and stability, Machinery and Electrical Installations

      

• It deals with the requirement for watertight integrity and bilge pumping arrangements for passenger ships, stability requirements for both cargo and passenger ships.

• It deals with the degree of subdivision and requirements covering machinery and electrical installations which are essential for the safety of the ship, passengers and crew.

• Under this regulation, ships should have adequate strength, integrity and stability to minimize the risk of loss of the ship or pollution to the marine environment due to structural failure, including collapse, resulting in flooding or loss of watertight integrity.

 

Chapter II-2 - Fire Protection, Fire Detection and Fire Extinction

     

• This chapter includes detailed fire safety provisions for all ships and specific measures for passenger ships, cargo ships and tankers.     

 

Chapter III - Life-Saving Appliances and arrangements

 

• This chapter includes the requirement for life-saving appliances and arrangements, including requirements for lifeboats, rescue boats, liferafts, lifebuoys and life jackets according to the type of ship.

 

Chapter IV - Radio Communications

 

• This chapter includes the requirements of GMDSS, SART, EPIRB etc. for cargo and passenger ships.

 

Chapter V - Safety of Navigation

        

• This chapter is applicable in general to all ships on all voyages, it includes passage planning, distress signal, navigation etc. 
• This chapter makes mandatory carriage of Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) and Automatic Ship Identification System (AIS). 

 

Chapter VI - Carriage of Cargoes and Oil Fuels

        

• This chapter regulates the carriage of all cargoes excluding oil and gas cargoes in bulk which are regulated by other chapters. 

• This chapter includes the requirement for storage and securing of cargo or cargo units (such as containers). 

• This chapter requires cargo ships carrying grain cargo to comply with the International Grain Code.

 

Chapter VII - Carriage of Dangerous cargo

       

• This chapter regulates the carriage of dangerous cargo at sea. the regulation is contained in four parts:

• Part A: Carriage of Dangerous goods in packaged form

• Part A-1: Carriage of Dangerous goods in Solid form in Bulk

• Part B: Construction and Equipment of Ships carrying Dangerous Liquid chemicals in  bulk

• Part C: Construction and Equipment of Ships carrying Liquified Gases in bulk

• Part D: Special Requirement for the carriage of packaged irradiated Nuclear Fuel, Plutonium and high-level radioactive wastes onboard Ships

• This chapter requires carriage of dangerous goods to be in compliance with International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code)

 

Chapter VIII - Nuclear Ships

 

• This chapter gives basic requirements for nuclear-powered ships and is particularly concerned with radiation hazards. 

• This refers to a detailed and comprehensive Code of Safety for Nuclear Powered Merchant Ships.

 

Chapter IX - Management of Safe Operation of Ships

 

• This chapter makes mandatory the International Safety Management (ISM)Code, which requires a Safety Management System to be established by the Shipowner or any person who has assumed responsibility for the ship (the Company)

 

Chapter X - Safety Measures for High-speed Craft 

 

• This Chapter makes mandatory the International Code of Safety for High-Speed Craft (HSC Code).

 

Chapter XI-1 - Special Measures to Enhance Maritime Safety

 

• This chapter clarifies the requirements relating to recognised Organisations, their responsibility on carrying out Surveys and Inspections 

• This chapter covers Enhanced surveys, Ships Identification Number and Port State Control on Operational requirement.

 

Chapter XI-2 - Special Measures to Enhance Maritime Security

 

• This chapter Covers the International Ship and Port Facilities Code.

• Part A of the Code is Mandatory and Part B contains Guidelines as to how best to comply with the mandatory requirements.

 

Chapter XII - Additional Safety Measures for Bulk Carriers

 

• This chapter includes the structural requirements for Bulk Carriers over 150 meters in length.

 

Chapter XIII - Verification of Compliance

 

• This chapter makes it Mandatory from 1 January 2016, every Contracting Government shall be subject to periodic audits by an organisation in accordance with the audit standards to verify compliance with the implementation of the present Convention.

 

Chapter XIV - Safety Measures for Ships Operating in Polar Waters

 

• This chapter makes mandatory, from 1 January 2017, the Introduction and Part I-A of International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code)

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Reference: IMO Publications & Documents - International Conventions - SOLAS