Lloyds Registry

Amendments by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) highlight new interpretation requirements for Permanent Means of Access (PMA) on oil tankers (of 500gt and above) and bulk carriers (of 20,000gt and above) constructed on or after 1 January 2006. IMO MSC.1/Circ.1572/Rev.2 updates the unified interpretations to SOLAS Regulation II‑1/3‑6: Access to and within Spaces in, and forward of, the Cargo Area of Oil Tankers and Bulk Carriers.

Although the revised unified interpretations introduce several changes to the previous text, including those related to maintenance, inspection and record-keeping, this Class News focuses on the following:

- Requirement for yearly inspection of the means of access by the crew or a competent person.

- Concerns about the practicality of such cargo area surveys on oil tankers.

- Recommendations to shipowners and operators.

https://www.lr.org/en/knowledge/class-news/11-26/