1 The Maritime Safety Committee, at its fifty-ninth
session, considered the proposal put forward by the United Kingdom,
to extend the standard of residual stability known as the `SOLAS 90'
standard, by amending the SOLAS regulation
II-1/8 as set out in circular letter No.1470 of 25 October
1990.
2 After detailed consideration of the matter,
the Committee concluded that a different approach should be adopted.
This amended approach would be aimed at improving the survivability
characteristics of existing ro-ro passenger ships over a period of
time of five years.
3 It was decided further that the time when the
ferries are required to be modified should be based on their survivability
characteristics such that those having the lowest characteristics
are modified first. In order to determine the survivability characteristics
of the individual ferries the Committee decided that it should be
done on the basis of calculations first presented to the SLF Sub-Committee
as its sixtieth session with a view to adopting an amendment to the
SOLAS Convention to implement the SOLAS 90 standard by means of an
agreed timescale.
4 In respect of modifications made by the Committee
it was considered that the comparison of the attained subdivision
`A' with the `maximum' attained index `Amax' as defined
in the annex hereto, would provide a more sound and meaningful basis
for the consideration of the matter by the SLF Sub-Committee, than
the comparison of `A' with the required subdivision index `R'. As
a consequence, it was decided to delete the reference to the required
index `R' in the calculations to be undertaken.
5 The Committee urges its Members to carry out
calculations in accordance with the annex hereto, as soon as possible,
and submit results therefrom, with a copy to the Secretariat, to the
United Statesfootnote, the co-ordinator of
this work, by not later than 31 October 1991.
6 The Committee requests those Members who have
already started their calculations, in accordance with the method
given in annex 5 to SLF 35/20, to adjust them in order to take account
of the changes in the concept as set out in the annex.