HAVING ADOPTED amendments to the International Convention
for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974,
as amended, concerning the safety of bulk carriers,
RECOGNIZING that new SOLAS chapter
XII does not cover all types and sizes of bulk carriers, e.g.
certain regulations do not apply to bulk carriers less than 150 m
in length or bulk carriers other than those of single side skin construction.
ACKNOWLEDGING that a number of bulk carriers will be of
a length less then 150 m and that a considerable number of single
side skin bulk carriers may be engaged in the carriage of solid bulk
cargoes having a density less than 1,780 kg/m,
BEING OF THE OPINION that there is a need to consider further
the safety standards of those types and sizes of bulk carriers to
which the whole or part of SOLAS chapter
XII does not apply,
RECOGNIZING FURTHER the need to establish a unified definition
of the single side skin construction referred to in SOLAS regulation XII/1.2,
INVITES the Maritime Safety Committee of the International
Maritime Organization, as a matter of urgency, to:
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(a) consider further the safety of bulk carriers
to which the whole or part of SOLAS chapter
XII does not apply, in particular bulk carriers less than 150
m in length, new bulk carriers of double side skin construction, single
side skin bulk carriers carrying solid bulk cargoes having a density
less than 1,780 kg/m3, bulk carriers with insufficient
number of cargo holds to satisfy regulation
XII/4.2, and ships other than bulk carriers with single side
skin construction intended to carry bulk cargoes; and develop appropriate
requirements, recommendations and/or guidelines, as necessary; and
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(b) develop a definition of single side skin construction.