Introduction and history
The SOLAS Convention in its successive forms is generally regarded as the most important of all international treaties concerning the safety of merchant ships. The first version was adopted in 1914, in response to the Titanic disaster, the second in 1929, the third in 1948 and the fourth in 1960.
The 1960 Convention – which was adopted on 17 June 1960 and entered into force on 26 May 1965 – was the first major task for IMO after the Organization’s creation and it represented a considerable step forward in modernizing regulations and in keeping pace with technical developments in the shipping industry.
The intention was to keep the Convention up to date by periodic amendments but in practice the amendments procedure incorporated proved to be very slow. It became clear that it would be impossible to secure the entry into force of amendments within a reasonable period of time.
As a result, a completely new Convention was adopted in 1974 which included not only the amendments agreed up until that date but a new amendment procedure – the tacit acceptance procedure – designed to ensure that changes could be made within a specified (and acceptably short) period of time.
Instead of requiring that an amendment shall enter into force after being accepted by, for example, two thirds of the Parties, the tacit acceptance procedure provides that an amendment shall enter into force on a specified date unless, before that date, objections to the amendment are received from an agreed number of Parties.
As a result the 1974 Convention has been updated and amended on numerous occasions. The Convention in force today is sometimes referred to as SOLAS, 1974, as amended.
Latest edition is SOLAS Consolidated edition 2014
Amendments to regulation III/17-1 to require ships to have plans and procedures to recover persons from the water, as well as related Guidelines for development of plans and procedures for recovery of persons from the water. Also, a related MSC resolution on Implementation of SOLAS regulation III/17-1 to ships to which SOLAS chapter III does not apply;
- A passenger ship is a ship which carries more than twelve passengers. (SOLAS I/2)
- A fishing vessel is a vessel used for catching fish, whales, seals, walrus or other living resources of the sea. (SOLAS I/2)
- Fishing vessel means any vessel used commercially for catching fish, whales, seals, walrus or other living resources of the sea. (SFV 1993 article 2)
- A nuclear ship is a ship provided with a nuclear power plant. (SOLAS I/2)
- Bulk carrier means a ship which is constructed generally with single deck, top-side tanks and hopper side tanks in cargo spaces, and is intended primarily to carry dry cargo in bulk, and includes such types as ore carriers and combination carriers. (SOLAS IX/1.6)
- Bulk carrier means a ship which is intended primarily to carry dry cargo in bulk, including such types as ore carriers and combination carriers. (SOLAS XII/1.1)
- Oil tanker means a ship constructed or adapted primarily to carry oil in bulk in its cargo spaces and includes combination carriers, any “NLS tanker” as defined in Annex II of the present Convention and any gas carrier as defined in regulation 3.20 of chapter II-1 of SOLAS 74 (as amended), when carrying a cargo or part cargo of oil in bulk. (MARPOL Annex I reg. 1.5)
- General cargo ship: A ship with a multi-deck or single-deck hull designed primarily for the carriage of general cargo. (MEPC.1/Circ.681 Annex)
- High-speed craft is a craft capable of travelling at high speed. (SOLAS X/1.2, HSC Code 2000 para 1.4.30)
- Mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) means a vessel capable of engaging in drilling operations for the exploration for or exploitation of resources beneath the sea-bed such as liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons, sulphur or salt. (SOLAS IX/1, MODU Code 2009 para 1.3.40)
- Special purpose ship (SPS) means a mechanically self-propelled ship which by reason of its function carries on board more than 12 special personnel. (SPS Code para 1.3.12)