. Bulk carrier safety A Conference convened by IMO in November 1997 adopted new measures to enhance the safety of bulk carriers, incorporated in a new Chapter XII of the SOLAS Convention. The new provisions are due to enter into force on 1 July 1999, but are only regarded as an interim measure, and the IMO Maritime Safety Committee has continued work on developing additional requirements for both new and existing ships. Consideration of bulk carrier safety has continued at an intensive level, sustained not only by the disturbing loss of a further six bulk carriers (and 63 lives) over the past twelve months, but also by the Assessors' report on the findings of the surveys of the wreckage of the British-flag bulk carrier Derbyshire, which sank with all hands in September 1980. It has been generally accepted that the findings are relevant to the current debate, though the Derbyshire was a newer ship and of different design from the bulk carrier casualties of recent years. ICS has continued to be actively engaged in all the discussions on this subject. It is a matter of concern to ICS that several bulk carriers are reported to have reached ports of refuge with fractures and structural failure in circumstances which might easily have turned into serious casualties had weather conditions or the ships' positions been different. Information on the number and severity of these incidents has been difficult to obtain and this lack of evidence is a serious handicap to identifying the causes of such failures. ICS is also concerned about the structural integrity of more recently built bulk carriers, and enquiries are being made to ascertain if structural failures have been experienced on modern tonnage. A particular matter now under study is the strength of hatch covers. Some three years ago ICS questioned whether hatch cover standards were adequate to withstand heavy seas, but the subject was not given high priority. Now, in part due to the Derbyshire report, the matter is on the agenda. ICS supports all practical measures to enhance bulk carrier safety but believes that the root cause of the structural failures must be clearly identified and comprehensively addressed. Attacking the problem with piecemeal modifications merely creates uncertainty and continuing doubts about the effectiveness of such measures. A matter which has still not been satisfactorily resolved is the potential damage to ships caused during loading and discharging operations. It is hoped that the new IMO Code of Practice for the Safe Loading and Unloading of Bulk Carriers will go some way towards alleviating the problem but reports indicate that many terminals are reluctant to change their old ways. Terminals are outside the scope of port state control, and a concerted effort is needed to encourage a change of attitude on their part. It is quite unacceptable that ships which protest about unreasonable terminal operations are sometimes threatened with fines and blacklisting, a practice altogether inconsistent with international efforts to improve safety. .