Titanic & SOLAS

As with every disaster, lessons are learnt.  The Titanic disaster was no exception & the loss served as a tragic reminder that life at sea is dangerous & unpredictable.

Out of this tragedy though came some good.  The disaster brought about a number of long overdue changes in commercial and passenger trade on the sea. In 1914, a number of seafaring nations gathered to consider the hearing information from the US Senate and the testimony given the British Board of Trade.

This was done in the wake of the great ship's loss, and the continuing public outcry for increased and mandatory shipboard safety. A convention was convened in London, and representatives hashed out new rules and regulations for human safety at sea.

Thus in 1914, two years after the Titanic disaster in which 1,503 people perished, maritime nations gathered in London & adopted the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS Convention)  taking into account lessons learned from the Titanic disaster.

The 1914 convention as superseded by SOLAS 1929, SOLAS 1948, SOLAS 1960 (The first to be adopted under the International Maritime organization) & finally SOLAS 1974.  Which with amendments & many updates is still in force to this day.

Some of the measures put into affect due to the tragedy are :

1. Adequate distress alert capability including a 24-hr radio watch.
2. Ship's public address system which is understandable by all aboard.
3. Adequacy of working lifeboats with covers to minimize exposure.
4. Well-trained lifeboat crew and those who launch the boats.
5. Information for passengers on safety precautions and drills.
6. Immersion suits for cold water travel.
7. International Ice Patrol.
8. Helicopters and rescue craft available at all times with trained SAR staff.
9. Ships must reduce speed in known danger and ice areas.
10. Evacuation chutes for escape.
11. Electronic methods for locating ships in distress and monitoring all ship traffic.
Had all of these mandates been in effect in 1912, it is probable that the loss of the RMS Titanic would have been a footnote in a maritime history book instead of a cult phenomenon.