The MCA has published an update to the marine guidance note on safety management of recovery of persons from the water. This note outlines the requirement for all SOLAS ships to have plans and procedures for recovering people from the water, based on IMO guidelines.
Key points include:
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Non-SOLAS vessels (like fishing boats or small craft) are encouraged to use these rules as industry best practices.
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No new equipment is legally required, though some ships may choose to upgrade to comply.
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Novel equipment must follow a specific acceptance process to be used on UK ships.
Source: MCA.