Loss Prevention Advice
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The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted a new framework governing the use of Remote Inspection Techniques (RIT) during surveys of bulk carriers and oil tankers, introducing standardized requirements.
The amendments to the International Code on the Enhanced Programme of Inspections during Survey of Bulk Carriers and Oil Tankers (2011 ESP Code) will enter into force on January 1, 2028, under IMO Resolution MSC.584(111). They are supported by new guidelines on the use of RIT for ESP Code surveys, set out in MSC.1/Circ.1700.
The new framework establishes requirements for using RIT as an alternative means of access to support close-up surveys and associated thickness measurements, enabling surveyors to examine ship structures remotely without physically accessing the areas concerned.
The requirements will apply to periodic ESP Code surveys of bulk carriers and oil tankers that commence on or after January 1, 2028, where RIT is intended to be used, regardless of the vessel’s construction date. In preparation, LR has explained the following:
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A gangway refers to a platform, a walkway or a ramp connecting the ship to land or other vessels and is used as a means of safe access for the crew. The gangway must be properly rigged and maintained to prevent accidents or injuries and to counter the movement from tidal streams, swell, cargo operations and surge movements caused by ships in the vicinity.
LEGISLATION
Accommodation ladders and gangways fitted on ships constructed before or replaced after 1 January 2010, should, to the extent possible, adhere with the IMO circular MSC.1/Circ.1331 – IMO “Guidelines for Construction, Installation, Maintenance and Inspection of means of Embarkation and Disembarkation”. This circular should be referred to in conjunction with the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) regulation II-1/3-9 (Means of Embarkation on and Disembarkation from Ships).
ARRANGEMENT
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Assured whose vessels trade to India will already be aware of the News Alert on 7 October 2026 (opens in a new window) advising of the requirements in the Merchant Shipping (Regulation of Entry of Ships into Coastal Waters) Rules, 2026, for non-Indian vessels operating in or transiting Indian coastal waters to maintain a valid salvage contract and a valid marine pollution response contract with an approved provider.
The Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA), Mumbai, has today issued DGMA Circular No. 69 of 2026 (opens in a new window), confirming that they are in the process of approving salvors and marine pollution response providers to be listed. As owners and operators are unable to fully comply with the new contractual requirements until the approved service providers have been formally notified, the DGMA has exercised its powers to grant vessels already operating in, or otherwise permitted entry into, Indian coastal waters an exemption period of six months, until 1 April 2027, to comply with the additional requirements introduced by the 2026 Rules.
Full advisory at the following link.
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An armed small boat opened fire on a containership transiting the Southern Red Sea on 7 October, prompting renewed security concerns in the strategically important shipping corridor.
As reported, all crew members were reported safe following the incident, according to the Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO), which operates as part of the EU Naval Force. The incident occurred at approximately 06:15 UTC, when the small boat fired at the vessel as it sailed north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The attackers subsequently moved away from the containership, although the circumstances surrounding their withdrawal remain unclear.
Maritime security consultants identified the vessel as CUL Klang, operated by China United Lines (CULines). No immediate claim of responsibility was reported, and further details about the circumstances of the attack were not immediately available.
The vessel was sailing from Port Klang, Malaysia, at the time of the incident. The ship’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) was displaying the message “China owned & CHN crew” following the incident.
The attack adds to security concerns surrounding commercial shipping in the Red Sea, a key maritime route connecting the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, remains a critical passage for international trade, making security incidents in the area a concern for shipowners, operators and seafarers.