After the sinking of the Titanic, safety at sea was on everyone’s lips. This concern led to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) in 1914, which and has been updated over the years, to rise the minimum safety standards for merchant ships. To date, 167 parties have signed the International Maritime Organisation’s Convention.
The Titanic event
It all began on the night on the 14 April 1912, when the latest ship, the Titanic, sank in the Atlantic. Such a disaster raised questions. Why was the sinking of the RMS Titanic such a tragedy and how could it be prevented in terms of equipment and safety procedures? In 1914, kings of all Europe, the President of France and the President the United States, agreed ” that it is desirable to establish by common consent certain uniform rules for the safety of life at sea”.
Before that, some rules had been drawn up, country by country, but there were no common rules.
Watertight bulkheads, radio transmission and lifeboats were among the main reasons why the Titanic sank that night. Therefore, the first chapter of SOLAS deals with watertight bulkheads for instance. Another point is the basic principle that “at no time during a voyage shall a ship carry a number of persons in excess of that which can be accommodated by all the lifeboats and rafts available to it”. Moreover, the first SOLAS Convention is supplemented by a set of rules relating to navigation.
Thanks to the Radio Telegraph Convention, Morse code had already been adopted by countries for maritime communications. In 1906, C.Q.D (“come quick danger”) and S.O.S (“save our souls”) were introduced as clear messages. With the SOLAS Convention, other dispositions were added to reinforce this technique of communication.
Update in 1974
As technology developed, the International Maritime Organisation made several amendments to the Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea. Three versions were made after 1914, in 1929, 1948 and 1946. The 1974 version is the one in force today. Moreover, new concerns, such as environmental issues, can be found in this latest version and its amendments. Oil tankers and bulk carriers adopted the “Goal-based-standards” in 2010 to meet an environmentally friendly purpose and to prevent “flooding or pollution of the marine environment”.
The first version, in 1914, already mentioned safety measures in case of fire: “An efficient round-the-clock patrol service shall be organised to detect any fire outbreak as quickly as possible”. Subsequently, in 1974, a chapter was also devoted to fire issues, for example, “thermal and structural boundaries”. Likewise, in Chapter VII mentions the risks of handling “dangerous goods” such as chemical or irradiated nuclear or radioactive waste and how to transport it safely.
Futhermore, this version also included the requirement for flag states to ensure that ships, under their flag, must comply with safety standards. Finally, Chapter V of the SOLAS Convention, entitled “Safety of Navigation”, is the only one that applies to all types of vessels at sea (yachts, local voyages…).
SOLAS today
The SOLAS can be read with 3 levels to ensure life at sea. In an area with a high concentration of traffic, a collision can occur and cause problems for the ship itself, the ships around it and the coastal population. As a matter of fact, in most cases, economic pressure, stress, fatigue, formation can expose the sea to accidents.The SOLAS Convention is frequently updated to remove obsolete requirements.
In 2024, BEA Mer reported 25 deaths at sea, one of the highest numbers since 2019. Although new regulations will enter into force in 2025, this number shows that safety can always be improved.
