Inertia sinks fast rescue boat regulation

摘要

Initiatives to regulate and improve the safety of Fast Rescue Boat (FRB) operations through the Ship Design and Equipment (SDE) sub-committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) have been roundly defeated and swamped by apathy at the committee's latest sitting. According to Dr Heike Hoppe, head of the SDE, there were initially a number of key motions on the table that the SDE has been unable to take forward because of the apparent withdrawal of interest from central national members. Foremost amongst these was the issue of improving the safety of launch and recovery systems, which the UK and others had been pushing for since a number of accidents had forced the issue onto the table in 2001.