Resolution MSC.136(76)
ADOPTION OF PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR A SHIP SECURITY ALERT SYSTEM
(adopted
on 11 December 2002)
THE
MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE,
RECALLING Article 28(b) of the Convention on the International
Maritime Organization concerning the functions of the Committee,
RECALLING ALSO resolution A.886(21), by which the Assembly
resolved that the functions of adopting performance standards for radio and
navigational equipment, as well as amendments thereto, shall be performed by
the Maritime Safety Committee on behalf of the Organization,
RECALLING FURTHER the provisions of the new chapter XI-2 of the
International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS), as
amended, and the requirements of regulation XI-2/6 that all ships shall be
provided with a ship security alert system,
RECOGNIZING that, for security reasons, a ship security alert
system is necessary on board for initiating and transmitting a ship-to-shore
security alert to a competent authority designated by the Administration,
HAVING CONSIDERED the recommendation made by the Sub-Committee on
Safety of Navigation at its forty-eighth session,
1. ADOPTS the Recommendation on Performance Standards for a Ship
Security Alert System, set out in the Annex to the present resolution;
2. RECOMMENDS Governments to ensure that a ship security alert
system provided in compliance with relevant international instruments in force
on or after 1 July 2004 conforms to performance standards not inferior to those
specified in the Annex to the present resolution.
RECOMMENDATION ON PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
FOR A SHIP SECURITY ALERT SYSTEM
The ship security alert system is provided to a ship for the
purpose of transmitting a security alert to the shore to indicate to a competent
authority that the security of the ship is under threat or has been
compromised. It comprises a minimum of two activation points, one of which is
on the navigation bridge. These initiate the transmission of a ship security
alert. The system is intended to allow a covert activation to be made which
alerts the competent authority ashore and does not raise an alarm on board ship
nor alert other ships.
As required by its Administration, the competent authority
receiving the alert notifies the authority responsible for maritime security
within its Administration, the Coastal State in whose vicinity the ship is
presently operating, or other Contracting Governments.
The procedures for the use of the ship security alert system and
the location of the activation points are given in the Ship Security Plan
agreed by the Administration.
The ship security alert system may utilise the radio installation
provided for compliance with chapter IV of the SOLAS Convention, other radio
systems provided for general communications or dedicated radio systems.
In addition to complying with the general requirements set out in
resolution A.694(17)* the ship security alert system should comply with the
following performance standards.
The radio system used for the ship security alert systems should
comply with relevant international standards.
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* Publication IEC 60945.
Where the ship security alert system is powered from the ship's
main source of electrical power, it should be possible to operate the ship
security alarm from an additional existing source of electrical power.