IMO Issues New Regulations, Improved Safety Requirements for Mooring Equipment

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has recently issued new Safety Guidelines for Mooring Equipment, which will be mandatory in 2024. The new regulations impose higher safety requirements on the design, manufacture, testing and use of mooring cables.

In particular, the new regulations emphasise the importance of fatigue life marking and digital monitoring of cables. All newly manufactured mooring ropes must be labelled with their fatigue life so that users are aware of the life expectancy and replacement intervals of the ropes. At the same time, the use of digital monitoring systems is encouraged to monitor the state of use of the ropes in real time and identify potential problems in a timely manner.

The implementation of the new regulations will bring some cost pressure to shipowners, but in the long run, this will greatly improve the safety of mooring operations and reduce the risk of accidents. The industry generally believes that this is an important advancement in safety standards for mooring equipment and will promote the healthy development of the entire industry.