Effective from January 1, 2024, significant amendments to SOLAS Chapters III/IV/V and the HSC Code, introduced by MSC.496(105) and 499(105), are ushering in new templates for recording safety radio and equipment details in relevant safety certificates.
The new format introduced for the safety certificates will require a coordinated issuance of all affected certificates to ensure a consistent representation of the vessel. Consequently, any issuance of the relevant safety certificates, including either safety equipment records or safety radio records, will trigger a re-issuance of all relevant safety certificates, which may also include safety equipment or the safety radio.
Coordinated issuance of relevant safety certificates DNV keeps track of the required updates to the safety certificates through retro-active requirement (RR) 1070a, for vessels without a narrow-band-direct-printing (NBDP) Radio Telex (Tlx), and through RR 1070b, for vessels with at least one Tlx.
Vessels with an RR 1070a, without an NBDP Tlx, can postpone the re-issuance of safety certificates until the next renewal survey. Vessels with an RR 1070b, with at least one Tlx, should remove/disconnect the Tlx – if not used as a high-frequency Maritime Safety Information receiver (HF-MSI) – at the first radio survey after 1 January 2024. DNV will then issue all relevant safety certificates using the new IMO templates. It should be noted that the MSI broadcasts on HF NPDP are still operational, and vessels with this option do not need to remove or disconnect the Tlx but should mark it as “used as HF-MSI receiver only”. For these vessels, HF-MSI will be included in the safety radio record. Details can be found in the text of the RR. Re-issuance of any of the related safety certificates, which
includes safety equipment or the safety radio, will result in re-issuance of all relevant safety certificates. Early compliance can be ordered by adding the relevant RR to the scope of any remote survey request at the cost of a normal remote survey. Upon re-issuance of the relevant safety certificates and deletion of the related RR, the implementation of new changes will be completed for the vessel.
Important changes to SOLAS Ch. III/IV and the HSC Code The amendment of the SOLAS Ch. III/IV and the HSC Code applicable from 1 January 2024 includes discontinuation of the NBDP Tlx for two-way distress and safety communication on HF band:
- If the Tlx is not used as a receiver for MSI on HF band (HFMSI receiver), then it should be disconnected or removed at the time of the re-issuance of the safety radio record in the new format, to avoid mismatch between the safety radio record and the actual installation.
- If the equipment is disconnected but not removed, then it should be marked as “not in use” until it is removed.
- If the Tlx is used as an HF-MSI receiver, then it does not need to be removed/disconnected, but it should be marked as “used as HF-MSI receiver only”.
It is not required to install any new equipment when only the Tlx function is removed/disconnected, provided that the remaining part of the system is a complete MF/HF/DSC. In addition, portable VHF equipment and SART/AIS-SART are moved from SOLAS Ch. III to SOLAS Ch. IV; and, consequently, deleted from the safety equipment record and included in the safety radio record. The radio surveyor should indicate information about removal, disconnection or use as HF-MSI receiver of the Tlx as well as information about the locations of portable VHF and SART/AIS-SART in the radio survey report (CRC521) item 2.28
Recommendations
DNV recommends that its customers consider the content of this statutory news, in summary:
- If the Tlx is not used as an HF-MSI receiver, it should be disconnected/removed at the time of re-issuance of the safety radio. If the equipment is disconnected but not removed, then it should be marked as such. If the Tlx is used as HFMSI receiver, it should also be marked accordingly.
- The radio surveyor should indicate in the radio survey report information about removal, disconnection or use as an HF-MSI receiver of the Tlx.
- The radio surveyor should add in the radio survey report information about the locations of portable VHF and SART/ AIS-SART.
- Ship managers can optionally request early re-issue of all certificates by selecting the appropriate RR in a survey request.