All International Passenger Ships Must Conduct 'Hull Damage Control' Training Every 3 Months

Revision of 'Ship Compartment Standards'... Enhanced Safety Standards Applied to International Passenger Ships

[Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] Starting this year, all international passenger ships must conduct 'damage control training' at least once every three months to prepare for emergencies such as flooding caused by hull damage.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 20th that it has revised the "Ship Compartment Standards," which mainly strengthen safety standards for international passenger ships.

Damage control training refers to exercises repeatedly conducted using simulated scenarios in which crew members use stability calculators to check whether the ship's stability is maintained when part of the hull is damaged, and based on the results, take timely evacuation or damage recovery measures. The training must include stability assessment, operation of watertight doors to prevent flooding, and inspection of drainage facilities.

Additionally, the revised notice requires passenger ships with a large number of passengers to have more compartments to enhance the ship's stability. This ensures that even if one compartment is flooded, it does not affect other compartments, thereby strengthening the ship's safety. Along with this, the mandatory installation of stability calculators has been expanded to all international passenger ships to reinforce safety standards.

This revision of the notice was promoted to reflect amendments of international conventions such as the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) into domestic law.

Kim Min-jong, Director of the Maritime Safety Bureau at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, said, "With this revision of the 'Ship Compartment Standards,' stricter safety standards will be applied to international passenger ships, which is expected to reduce casualties at sea. We will continue to promote institutional improvements to ensure safety on ships."

The full text of the revised Ship Compartment Standards notice can be found on the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries website.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.