THE ASSEMBLY,
RECALLING
Article 15(j) of the Convention on the International Maritime Organization concerning
the functions of the Assembly in relation to regulations and guidelines concerning
maritime safety,
NOTING that the Conference of
Contracting Governments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at
Sea,1974 (SOLAS 1974), on the global maritime distress and safety system (GMDSS
Conference,1988) adopted regulation IV/7.1.6 of the 1988 SOLAS amendments, applicable
not later than 1 August 1993, requiring the carriage of a float-free satellite EPIRB on
every ship as part of the global maritime distress and safety system,
NOTING Assembly resolution A.695(17), "Performance standards for
float-free satellite emergency position-indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs) operating on
406 MHz,
NOTING FURTHER resolution 3,
"Recommendation on the early introduction of GMDSS elements", adopted by the 1988 GMDSS
Conference, which recommends, inter alia, that satellite EPIRBs be introduced as early
as possible,
RECOGNIZING that satellite EPIRBs
forming part of the global maritime distress and safety system and operating through the
COSPAS-SARSAT satellite system in the frequency band 406-406.1 MHz (406 MHz EPIRBs)
should be type approved to ensure the integrity of the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite system,
to avoid harmful interference to the spaceborne equipment, to exclude unauthorized
transmissions and to provide reliable data to rescue co-ordination centres,
RECOGNIZING FURTHER the value of the type approval
procedure proposed by the COSPAS-SARSAT partners in order to ensure that satellite
EPIRBs will not degrade system performance and will be compatible with the spaceborne
equipment,
HAVING CONSIDERED the recommendation made
by the Maritime Safety Committee at its fifty-eighth session,
RECOMMENDS Governments:
(a) to ensure, as part
of national type approval procedures, that any new type of 406 MHz satellite EPIRB to be
deployed on board ships is tested to confirm that it is in accordance with the IMO
performance standards for 406 MHz EPIRBs (resolution A.695(17); confirmation that the
satellite EPIRB meets part B of that performance standard can be achieved by either:
(i) performing, or having performed, under national procedures,
all appropriate tests; or
(ii) accepting type approval test
results obtained through the COSPAS-SARSAT type approval procedure (C/S T.OO7) and
confirmed by the delivery of a COSPAS-SARSAT Type Approval Certificate; and
(b) to encourage national type approval authorities to develop
test procedures compatible, to the extent possible, with C/S T.007, if necessary in
consultation with the COSPAS-SARSAT Secretariat.
Versie informatie document
Publicatie op Netherlands Regulatory Framework (NeRF) – Maritime:
Huidige versie: 1
Datum beschikbaarheid huidige versie: 31-10-2005 (vanaf dit moment beschikbaar op Netherlands Regulatory Framework (NeRF) – Maritime)
Datum document: