International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974

Chapter VIIINuclear ships

Nuclear ships

Nuclear ships

Regulation 1 Application

Regulation 2 Application of other chapters

Regulation 3 Exemptions

Regulation 4 Approval of reactor installation

Regulation 5 Suitability of reactor installation for service on board ship

Regulation 6 Radiation safety

Regulation 7 Safety assessment

Regulation 8 Operating manual

Regulation 9 Surveys

Regulation 10 Certificates

Regulation 11 Special control

Regulation 12 Casualties

Application This chapter applies to all nuclear ships except ships of war.

Regulation 2

Application of other chapters The regulations contained in the other chapters of the present Convention apply to nuclear ships except as modified by this chapter.*

Regulation 3

Exemptions A nuclear ship shall not, in any circumstances, be exempted from compliance with any regulations of this Convention.

Regulation 4

Approval of reactor installation The design, construction and standards of inspection and assembly of the reactor installation shall be subject to the approval and satisfaction of the Administration and shall take account of the limitations which will be imposed on surveys by the presence of radiation.

Regulation 5

Suitability of reactor installation for service on board ship The reactor installation shall be designed having regard to the special conditions of service on board ship both in normal and exceptional circumstances of navigation.

Regulation 6

Radiation safety The Administration shall take measures to ensure that there are no unreasonable radiation or other nuclear hazards, at sea or in port, to the crew, passengers or public, or to the waterways or food or water resources.

Regulation 7

Safety assessment (a) A safety assessment shall be prepared to permit evaluation of the nuclear power plant and safety of the ship to ensure that there are no unreasonable radiation or other hazards, at sea or in port, to the crew, passengers or public, or to the waterways or food or water resources. The Administration, when satisfied, shall approve such safety assessment which shall always be kept up to date.

* Refer to the Code of Safety for Nuclear Merchant Ships (resolution A.491(XII) and Corr.1), which supplements the requirements of this chapter.

(b) The safety assessment shall be made available sufficiently in advance to the Contracting Governments of the countries which a nuclear ship intends to visit so that they may evaluate the safety of the ship.

Regulation 8

Operating manual A fully detailed operating manual shall be prepared for the information and guidance of the operating personnel in their duties on all matters relating to the operation of the nuclear power plant and having an important bearing on safety. The Administration, when satisfied, shall approve such operating manual and a copy shall be kept on board the ship. The operating manual shall always be kept up to date.

Regulation 9

Surveys Survey of nuclear ships shall include the applicable requirements of regulation 7 of chapter I, or of regulations 8,

9 and 10 of chapter I, except in so far as surveys are limited by the presence of radiation. In addition, the surveys shall include any special requirements of the safety assessment. They shall in all cases, notwithstanding the provisions of regulations 8 and 10 of chapter I, be carried out not less frequently than once a year.

Regulation 10

Certificates (a) The provisions of paragraph (a) of regulation 12 of chapter I and of regulation 14 of chapter I shall not apply to nuclear ships.

(b) A certificate, called a Nuclear Passenger Ship Safety Certificate, shall be issued after inspection and survey to a nuclear passenger ship which complies with the requirements of chapters 11-1 , 11-2, 111, IV and VIII, and any other relevant requirements of the present regulations.

(c) A certificate, called a Nuclear Cargo Ship Safety Certificate, shall be issued after inspection and survey to a nuclear cargo ship which satisfies the requirements for cargo ships on survey set out in regulation 10 of chapter I, and complies with the requirements of chapters 11-1, 11-2, 111, IV and VIII and any other relevant requirements of the present regulations.

(d) Nuclear Passenger Ship Safety Certificates and Nuclear Cargo Ship Safety Certificates shall state: "That the ship, being a nuclear ship, complied with all requirements of chapter VIII of the Convention and conformed to the Safety Assessment approved for the ship".

(e) Nuclear Passenger Ship Safety Certificates and Nuclear Cargo Ship Safety Certificates shall be valid for a period of not more than 12 months.

(f) Nuclear Passenger Ship Safety Certificates and Nuclear Cargo Ship Safety Certificates shall be issued either by the Administration or by any person or organization duly authorized by it. In every case, that Administration assumes full responsibility for the certificate.

Regulation 11

Special controf In addition to the control established by regulation 19 of chapter I, nuclear ships shall be subject to special control before entering the ports and in the ports of Contracting Governments, directed towards verifying that

* Refer to the IMO/IAEA Safety Recommendations on the Use of Ports by Nuclear Merchant Ships.

there is on board a valid Nuclear Ship Safety Certificate and that there are no unreasonable radiation or other hazards at sea or in port, to the crew, passengers or public, or to the waterways or food or water resources.

Regulation 12

Casualties In the event of any accident likely to lead to an environmental hazard the master of a nuclear ship shall immediately inform the Administration. The master shall also immediately inform the competent governmental authority of the country in whose waters the ship may be, or whose waters the ship approaches in a damaged condition.

Management for the safe operation of ships

Management for the safe operation of ships

Regulation 1 Definitions

Regulation 2 Application

Regulation 3 Safety management requirements

Regulation 4 Certification

Regulation 5 Maintenance of conditions

Regulation 6 Verification and control

Definitions For the purpose of this chapter, unless expressly provided otherwise:

1 International Safety Management (ISM) Code means the International Management Code for the Safe Operation of Ships and for Pollution Prevention adopted by the Organization by resolution A.741 (18), as may be amended by the Organization, provided that such amendments are adopted, brought into force and take effect in accordance with the provisions of article VIII of the present Convention concerning the amendment procedures applicable to the annex other than chapter I.

2 Company means the owner of the ship or any other organization or person such as the manager, or the bareboat charterer, who has assumed the responsibility for operation of the ship from the owner of the ship and who on assuming such responsibility has agreed to take over all the duties and responsibilities imposed by the International Safety Management Code.

3 Oil tanker means an oil tanker as defined in regulation 11-1 /2.22.

4 Chemical tanker means a chemical tanker as defined in regulation Vll/8.2.

5 Gas carrier means a gas carrier as defined in regulation Vll/ 11.2.

6 Bulk carrier means a ship which is constructed generally with a 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.*

7 Mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) means a vessel capable of engaging in drilling operations for the exploration for or exploitation of resources beneath the seabed such as liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons, sulphur or salt.

8 High-speed craft means a craft as defined in regulation X/ 1.

Regulation 2

Application

1 This chapter applies to ships, regardless of the date of construction, as follows:

.1 passenger ships, including passenger high-speed craft, not later than 1 July 1998;

.2 oil tankers, chemical tankers, gas carriers, bulk carriers and cargo high-speed craft of 500 gross tonnage and upwards, not later than 1 July 1998; and

.3 other cargo ships and mobile offshore drilling units of 500 gross tonnage and upwards, not later than 1 July 2002.t

2 This chapter does not apply to government-operated ships used for non-commercial purposes.

• Refer to Interpretation of the provisions of SOLAS chapter XII on additional safety measures for bulk carriers (resolution MSC.79(70)) and Clarification of the term "bulk carrier" and guidance for application of regulations in SOLAS to ships which occasionally carry dry cargoes in bulk and are not determined as bulk carriers in accordance with regulation X/1/1.1 and chapter 1/-1 (resolution MSC.277(85)). t The Maritime Safety Committee, at its sixty-sixth session, decided that mobile offshore drilling units not propelled by mechanical means need not comply with the requirements of the chapter.