IMO Safety Conventions

In 1960 the IMO organized its first conference, adopting the International Convention on Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) which came into force in 1965. The 1960 SOLAS Convention was designed to improve the safety of shipping. Its provisions cover navigational safety, ship design and stability, electrical and machinery installations, fire protection, radio communications, life-saving appliances and the transport of dangerous goods. The 1974 SOLAS Convention modified the 1960 Convention by including the amendment procedure whereby SOLAS can be updated for changes in the shipping environment without having to call a conference, i.e., amendments adopted by the MSC enter into force on a predetermined date, unless objected to by a specific number of states