Construction and equipment for deep-sea vessels is closely regulated, though IMO conventions such as SOLAS and MARPOL as well'as the various class society and flag state Rules. For smaller tonnage vessels, the situation is different. Although certain aspects of SOLAS and MARPOL apply, and there are sometimes relevant classification society provisions, there is a lack of consistent standards to which designers, builders and operators can work, or to which regulatory bodies, surveyors, insurers, accident investigators, etc, can refer. In some ways this is no bad thing, there are few in our industry who would like to see it over-regulated in the way that innovation in, for example, navigation and safety equipment for ocean-going vessels, can sometimes seem to be stifled. However, few would disagree that a certain amount of regulation is necessary, mainly in safety-related areas. How suitable regulations could be formulated and applied was the subject of a two-day conference held in October 2004 at The Royal Institution of Naval Architects' headquarters in London.
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