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06 December 2012 09:23
New regulations are set to come into force to improve safety within the cruise sector
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has announced a raft of regulations designed to improve safety on board ships. Among the measures that will come into force in 2014 are new safety drills and lifeboat loading procedures. At a meeting of the IMO safety committee in London, it was agreed that in light of the Costa Concordia cruise liner tragedy in January this year, mandatory passenger safety drills should take place prior to departure or immediately upon embarkation.
Draft amendments to a section of the International Safety of Life at Sea convention were also approved by the committee, making it a requirement for musters of newly embarked passengers before or immediately upon departure. Previously, the convention stated the musters should take place within 24 hours for journeys longer than a day.
People thinking of heading on a cruise should still consider taking out cruise travel insurance, particularly as the new regulations will not come into force until potentially the end of 2014. The next stage is for the amendments to be circulated for consideration and they will be up for discussion again at the committee meeting in June 2013. A number of operational measures will be put in place until the mandatory ones come into force.
15 December 2018
Older people are 50% more likely to take themselves to A&E if they live alone, a new study has revealed.
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14 December 2018
Over 4.3 million older people in the UK are at risk of not getting the care they need just because of their postcode, new research has revealed.
13 December 2018
Space tourism could move one giant leap closer this week as Virgin Galactic expects to reach "space altitudes" for the first time.
12 December 2018
If you're worried about piling on the pounds this Christmas, regular home weighing could prevent you from excessive festive eating and drinking.
11 December 2018
Airlines that automatically cancel return flights when passengers fail to show for their outbound journeys are being warned they risk breaking consumer law.
08 December 2018
Providing better conditions for disabled passengers is one of the main aims of a proposed new charter for airlines and airports.
07 December 2018
Women who don't attend cervical screenings should be offered testing kits they can use at home, new research suggests.
06 December 2018
Ryanair could be slapped with enforcement action from the airline regulator after it refused compensation for passengers hit by flight disruption caused by staff taking strike action.
05 December 2018
Protein supplements and muscle training could be the most effective ways to delay or reverse the effects of frailty, a new study suggests.
04 December 2018
Mumford and Sons bassist Ted Dwane has helped create a new exhibition to raise awareness of the loneliness felt by people living with multiple sclerosis (MS).
01 December 2018
A leading charity has praised the actions of Lloyd Russell-Moyle, saying the Labour MP had "done everybody a service" by disclosing his HIV status.
30 November 2018
Sweating out the daily stresses in a sauna could be linked to a reduced risk of death from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in people aged 50 and over, according to a new study.