Preface
In accordance with the decision taken by the Governing Body of the ILO at its 254th Session (November 1992), a Meeting of Experts was convened in Geneva from 28 September to 5 October 1993 to revise the ILO Code of Practice on Accident Prevention on Board Ship at Sea and in Port.
The code should not be regarded as:
legally binding instrument;
not intended to supersede national laws or regulations;
other national safety and health rules.
Its practical recommendations are intended for use by all those who have responsibility for safety and health on board ship.
Preface
Its object is to provide guidance to shipowners and seafarers and others concerned with the framing of provisions of this kind in both the public and private sectors.
Much of the information contained in this code has been taken from national codes of practice and safety-related publications.
The experts recognized that some countries and shipping companies had established more progressive safety and health policies and programmes than those prescribed in this code.
Preface
The text of the code was approved for publication by the Governing Body of the ILO at its 261st Session (November 1994).
Objective of this code
The objective of this code is to provide practical guidance on safety and health in shipboard work with a view to:
preventing accidents, diseases and other harmful effects on the health of seafarers;
ensuring that the responsibility for safety and health is understood;
promoting consultation and cooperation among governments, as well as shipowners' and seafarers' organizations
Application of this code
The code covers the safety and health of all seafarers serving on board all seagoing ships, whether publicly or privately owned, and which are ordinarily engaged in commercial maritime navigation.…