1 The Maritime Safety Committee at its fifty-ninth
session (13 to 24 May 1991) approved provisional Guidelines for the
conduct of trials in which the officer of the navigational watch acts
as the sole look-out in periods of darkness (MSC 59/33, paragraph
11.23).
2 As requested by the Committee, the attached
provisional Guidelines are brought to the attention of Member Governments.
3 The provisional Guidelines should be considered
as guidance for uniform application and not as an authorization or
as a basis for equivalent arrangements for unrestricted application
4 With respect to passenger ships and ships carrying
oil, gas and chemicals in bulk, the Committee recommends that Administrations
defer participation by such vessels in trials under the provisional
Guidelines pending consideration by the Committee of the results of
trials with ships engaged in other types of service.
5 Trials authorized in accordance with the provisional
Guidelines should not be conducted in waters subject to the jurisdiction
of a Government which has informed the Organization of its objections
to such trials.
6 When ships of less than 1,600 grt cannot comply
with the guidelines, Administrations should consider arrangements
that provide a level of safety that is at least as effective as that
prescribed by the provisional Guidelines.
7 Reports of the results of trials conducted in
accordance with the provisional Guidelines, including preliminary
progress reports, may be submitted directly to the Sub-Committee on
Safety of Navigation and to the Sub-Committee on Standards of Training
and Watchkeeping for their information. Such reports should be submitted
in sufficient time to ensure they are taken into consideration when
the above sub-committees are scheduled to evaluate the trials and
consider the need for revision of the provisional Guidelines.