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-29 Dec 2022

SOLAS Chapters for Beginners | Summary, Parts,
Regulations Explained

Solas Chapters for Beginners | Summary, Parts,

Regulations Explained
Introduction
There are many dangers to life at sea. Fire, flooding, collision, grounding, heavy
weather and drowning are some of the major ones. But there are many more minor
dangers that can jeopardise the safety of life.

The collision and subsequent sinking of the Titanic was one of the major incidents
that shook the world. It was a horrible tragedy. When it occurred, we realized that
there were not enough life-saving appliances and arrangements on the ship for the
emergency evacuation of passengers.

We could have saved many more lives had the Titanic been designed keeping
emergency situations in mind. SOLAS came into existence as a result of the
foundering of the Titanic. It was first adopted on 20th January, 1914 with the aim of
entering it into force by July 2015.
The primary objective at this time was to ensure that all sea-going vessels are
supplied with enough life-saving appliances and arrangements for emergencies.

Over time, it has grown significantly and today it accounts for not only passenger
vessels, but also cargo-carrying vessels of all types. It covers all major and most
minor causes that endanger life at sea.

What is SOLAS?
The SOLAS convention is an instrument of the IMO. It lays down regulations for the
safe construction, operation and maintenance of passenger and cargo ships. It also
specifies the regulations for the equipment to be used on the ship.

Today, 164 flag states that register 99% of merchant ships sailing at sea are following
SOLAS. All of these states must follow the minimum standards mentioned in SOLAS.

Compliance with SOLAS regulations ensures that working at sea is much safer than
before. As an extension, SOLAS also ensures the safety of ships and the environment.

SOLAS, along with the MARPOL and the STCW convention forms the three most
important pillars to ensure maritime safety and pollution prevention.

SOLAS Chapters
All the SOLAS safety regulations are well-segregated into 14 chapters that are based
on specific niches in the shipping industry.

The SOLAS chapters list is as follows:

Chapter I: General Provisions

Chapter II-1: Construction – Structure, Subdivision and Stability, Machinery and

Electrical Installations

Chapter II-2: Construction – Fire Protection, Fire Detection and Fire Extinction

Chapter III: Life-saving Appliances and Arrangements

Chapter IV: Radiocommunications

Chapter V: Safety of Navigation

Chapter VI: Carriage of Cargoes and Oil Fuels

Chapter VII: Carriage of Dangerous Goods

Chapter VIII: Nuclear ships

Chapter IX: Management for the Safe Operation of Ships

Chapter X: Safety Measures for High-Speed Craft

Chapter XI-1: Special Measures to Enhance Maritime Safety

Chapter XI-2: Special Measures to Enhance Maritime Security

Chapter XII: Additional Safety Measures for Bulk Carriers

Chapter XIII: Verification of Compliance

Chapter XIV: Safety Measures for Ships Operating in Polar Waters

Let us look at each of the chapters briefly and what regulations they have.

Summary of SOLAS chapters

Chapter I: General Provisions

This chapter has 21 regulations that specify what and how surveys are to be carried
out on merchant vessels.

It also addresses the issuance and endorsement of certificates, their validity

durations and availability onboard.

It has the following three parts.

Part A – Application, definitions, etc.

Part B – Surveys and certificates
Part C – Casualties
Chapter II-1: Construction – Structure, Subdivision and
Stability, Machinery and Electrical Installations
Chapter II-1 addresses construction standards for ships.

It has 57 regulations that dictate how the construction must be carried out to ensure
that the ship does not sink should a compartment get flooded.

New Carissa Shipwreck from 2010. Photo

by Bureau of Land Management Oregon
and Washington

It is divided into the following 7 parts:

Part A – General
Part B – Subdivision and stability
Part C – Machinery installations
Part D – Electrical installations
Part E – Additional requirements for periodically unattended machinery spaces
Part F – Alternative design and arrangements
Part G – Ships using low-flash point fuels

Solas Chapter 2 provides instructions on how the subdivision of vessels is to be

carried out without compromising safe access to the di!erent locations.

The instructions cover all the di!erent types of vessels.

Chapter II-2: Construction – Fire Protection, Fire

Detection and Fire Extinction
Chapter II-2 covers fire protection standards. It has 23 regulations that are divided
into the following seven parts.

Part A – General
 Part B – Prevention of fire and explosion
Part C – Suppression of fire
Part D – Escape
Part E – Operational requirements
Part F – Alternative design and arrangements
Part G – Special requirements (Helicopter facilities, carriage of dangerous goods,
etc.)

The aim of this chapter is to provide complete end-to-end guidance on how to reduce
the occurrence of fire on ships.

Considering the possibility of fires, the chapter also guides on how to design a ship to
suppress the fire while facilitating the escape of those onboard.

Chapter III: Life-saving Appliances and Arrangements

Solas Chapter 3 outlines the arrangement and other specifications for the life-saving
appliances on ships.

It has 41 regulations that cover all the di!erent life-saving appliances for all vessel
sizes and types

The chapter has three main parts. These are:

Part A – General
Part B – Requirements for ships and life-saving appliances. It has the following
five sections.
Section I – Passenger ships and cargo ships
Section II – Passenger ships (Additional requirements)
Section III – Cargo ships (Additional requirements)
Section IV – Life-Saving appliances and arrangement requirements
Section V – Miscellaneous
Part C – Alternative design and arrangements

Chapter IV: Radiocommunications

This chapter has a total of 18 regulations covering radio equipment and installations.
It covers various topics such as their sources of energy, performance standards, and
maintenance requirements.

The chapter has three main parts.

Part A – General
Part B – Undertakings by contracting governments
 Part C – Ship requirements

Chapter V: Safety of Navigation

Solas chapter 5 has a total of 35 regulations. It details the various navigation
principles along with the design, arrangement and maintenance of navigation
equipment.

It covers a lot of other topics as well such as ship routeing, pilot transfer
arrangements, steering gear testing and drills, distress signals and actions to be
taken in distress situations.

Chapter VI: Carriage of Cargoes and Oil Fuels

Solas Chapter 6 comprises of 9 regulations that cover the loading, unloading,
stowage and securing of di!erent cargoes. It has three parts.

Part A – General Provisions

Part B – Special provisions for solid bulk cargoes
Part C – Carriage of grain

The chapter covers the requirements that the vessels must adhere to in order to carry
the abovementioned cargoes.

Chapter VII: Carriage of Dangerous Goods

When the cargo is dangerous, Solas Chapter 7 regulations need to be followed. There
are a total of 16 regulations in this chapter. It has the following three parts.

Part A – Carriage of Dangerous Goods in Packaged Form

Part B – Construction and equipment of ships carrying dangerous liquid
chemicals in bulk
Part C – Construction and equipment of ships carrying liquefied gases in bulk

Chapter VIII: Nuclear ships

SOLAS Chapter 8 has a total of 11 regulations that cover aspects such as application,
reactor selection, radiation safety, surveys, certificates, and special controls for
nuclear ships.

The Code of Safety for Nuclear Merchant Ships supplements the requirements of this
chapter (resolution A.491(XII)).

Chapter IX: Management for the Safe Operation of Ships

Solas Chapter 9 consists of six regulations and stresses the importance of complying
with the International Safety Management (ISM) Code.

It is mandatory for all ships to comply with the ISM code to comply with SOLAS
Chapter 9.

The ship must also be operated by a company that holds a valid Document of
Compliance (DOC) and a robust safety management system.
The Chapter also lays down regulations for verification and control of compliance
with the code.

Chapter X: Safety Measures for High-Speed Craft

Chapter 10 of SOLAS features three regulations that define and state the requirements
for a high-speed craft.

It also states that the crafts must comply with IMO’s International Code of Safety for
High-Speed Craft (HSC Code) adopted in 1994.

A comprehensive set of requirements for high-speed crafts are a part of the HSC
code.

These requirements allow manufactured crafts to attain a level of safety equivalent to

the safety requirements in SOLAS.

Chapter XI-1: Special Measures to Enhance Maritime

Safety
This chapter consists of 7 regulations meant to improve maritime safety.

The chapter stresses the importance of complying with the Code for Recognized
Organizations (RO Code) and how it is to be done for the code’s di!erent parts
(mandatory/recommendatory).

It also reiterates the roles of these recognized organizations such as port control. The
chapter also specifies how safety records are to be maintained and shared with
relevant organizations and systems such as the Global Integrated Shipping
Information System (GISIS).

Chapter XI-2: Special Measures to Enhance Maritime

Security
This chapter focuses on maritime security and contains 13 regulations.

It lays down the requirements for companies, ships and port facilities to manage
security on ships. It enumerates the threats to ships and their control and compliance
measures.
It also defines what a Ship Security Alert System (SSAS) is and how it must function.

The chapter also reiterates the master’s overriding authority in making professional
calls that relate to the safety and security of the vessel.

He is not to be pressurised by the company, owner or the charterer when making

these calls.

It also regulates how communication of information is to take place among all the
parties.

It also states that the vessel must comply with the mandatory requirements provided
in the part A of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. Part B
provisions are recommendatory.

Chapter XII: Additional Safety Measures for Bulk

Carriers
Chapter 12 of SOLAS lists additional safety measures for bulk carriers. It has a total of
14 regulations.

It specifies the structural strength and damage stability requirements for bulk
carriers. It also explains the survey and maintenance of bulk carriers.

It also provides the regulations for water ingress alarms for hold, ballast and dry
spaces and the availability of pumping systems for these areas.

Chapter XIII: Verification of Compliance

SOLAS chapter 13 is one of the shortest chapters in SOLAS with only three regulations.
These regulations explain how the compliance of contracting governments regarding
the implementation of SOLAS on its vessels shall be checked by the IMO.

It lays down the procedure for the audits and the responsibility of the contracting
government in facilitating a smooth audit.

Chapter XIV: Safety Measures for Ships Operating in

Polar Waters
The 14th Chapter in SOLAS has 4 regulations for ships that intend to operate in polar
waters.

Polar waters refer to the Arctic area (north of 60 degree latitude) and the Antarctic
area (south of 60 degree latitude).

The goal of the chapter is to define the scope and the type of ship to which these
regulations apply.

It is also to provide alternative design and arrangement methodology for structure,

machinery and electrical installations, fire safety and life-saving appliances and
arrangements.

Frequently Asked Questions

SOLAS full form
SOLAS stands for Safety of Life at Sea. The full name of the SOLAS convention is ‘The
International convention for the safety of life at sea (SOLAS).

How many chapters in SOLAS?

There are a total of 14 chapters in SOLAS.

Which ships does SOLAS apply to?

The present regulations apply to ships engaged on international voyages unless
expressly provided otherwise. These include passenger ships (>12 passengers) and
cargo ships (all ships that are not passenger ships).

If a vessel that does not normally do international voyages must undertake one
international voyage, it may be allowed to do so without complying with the current
SOLAS regulations provided that the safety requirements are adequate in the opinion
of the flag state for the voyage to be undertaken by the ship.

Which ships does SOLAS not apply to?

Unless expressly mentioned otherwise, the present SOLAS regulations do not apply
to:

Ships of war and troopships

Cargo ships of less than 500 tons gross tonnage
Ships not propelled by mechanical means
Wooden ships of primitive build
Pleasure yachts not engaged in trade
Fishing vessels

SOLAS also does not apply to vessels sailing only in the Great Lakes of North America
and the River St. Lawrence as far east as a straight line drawn from Cap des Rosiers to
West Point, Anticosti Island and, on the north side of Anticosti Island, the 63rd
Meridian.

Where is SOLAS training manual located?

As per SOLAS chapter III, regulation 35, a training manual must be located in each
crew mess room and recreation room or in each crew cabin.

Most vessels hold three controlled copies, one in each of the two mess rooms and one
in the Master’s o"ce. A DPA also holds a controlled copy.

No more unauthorised or uncontrolled copies of the training manual are to be created

or circulated without prior written permission.

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