IMDG Code 37th amendment will come in print by October 2014. Countries, shipper &, shipping lines can adopt IMDG Code 37th amendment in whole or in part on a voluntary basis as from 1 January 2015. From 1st January 2016 IMDG Code 37th amendment will become mandatory.
A few days ago a Filipino seafarer who was onboard the well known MSC Flaminia fire accident died in hospital in Portugal from severe burns that he suffered in a fire. MSC Flaminia is a German container ship that caught fire on 14 July 2012 forcing the crew to abandon ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The ship remained at sea after the fire for over a month and among others at a specific time EU countries were refusing to offer shelter to the vessel most probably due to hazardous materials stored within its containers. Taking the opportunity a full timeline of the MSC Flaminia fire has been compiled mainly from information from the Maritime Bulletin.
MSC 90 was held in London from 16-25 May 2012 under the chairmanship of Deputy Director-General Christian Breinholt. At the ninetieth session of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 90) the following items have been discussed and relevant decisions have been taken: Piracy, Passenger ship safety, Navigation bridge visibility, Fishing vessel safety, The Polar Code, Development of new ship standards and the use of risk analyses.
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Officer of the Watch 