Russian Maritime Register of Shipping to chair in the IACS Safety Panel
On 1 January, 2017 Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) commenced the chairmanship in the Safety Panel of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS).
IACS Panels are specialised working groups consisting of representatives of all IACS Member Societies. At present, six Panels are functioning on the different activity areas and fields of interest of the Classification Societies:
Hull
Machinery
Safety
Environment
Survey
Cyber systems
The Safety Panel is one of the key IACS working bodies which performs review of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) documents and supporting the activity of IACS representatives in the IMO working bodies. The Panel terms of reference covers all technical matters related to the application, interpretation and improvement of of the IMO instruments, documents of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and other international organizations including:
SOLAS-74 International Convention with most of the Codes: Polar Code, HSC Code, MODU Code, IGF Code, IS Code, FSS Code, FTP Code, LSA Code, etc.;
International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969;
International Convention on Load Lines, 1966;
COLREG, 1972;
other Instruments, except of those related to the environmental protection issues (MARPOL 73/78, etc.).
The scope of work of the Safety Panel includes:
updating of IACS resolutions (Unified Requirements and Unified Interpretations, Procedural Requirements) and IACS Recommendations in connection with the improvement of the international legislation, upon the initiative of the external organizations and IACS Member Societies;
annual review of the implementation of IACS resolutions, development of measures aimed at the uniform understanding, implementation and application of resolutions by all the IACS Member Societies;
review of submission papers to the sessions of the IMO working bodies (MSC, SSE, SDC, HTW, III, CCC, NSCR and, partially, MEPC), as well as preparing the IACS submission papers and IACS positions to the relevant sessions of the IMO, ILO, etc. with the proposals on improvement of the existing statutory instruments and new agenda items of the IMO activity (in some cases the submissions are developed in cooperation with the IMO Member States);
ensuring the effective IACS interaction with the international organizations, industry associations and groups of shipowners, manufacturers, designers, shipbuilders, etc.
In compliance with the IACS rotation practice, the Panel Chairman is elected by the IACS Council for three-year term. Till 31 December, 2019, the responsibilities of the Safety Panel Chairman are to be fulfilled by Mikhail Musonov, Deputy Head of the RS International Affairs Department.
