SOLAS (International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea)
Abbreviation: SOLAS
The foundational IMO convention on merchant-ship safety — construction, life-saving, fire, navigation, radiocommunication, dangerous goods, and safety management.
Quick facts
- Convention
- SOLAS 1974 as amended
In practice
Every merchant ship over 500 GT on international voyages holds SOLAS-required certificates verifying compliance. PSC officers routinely inspect SOLAS certification.
Regulatory detail & full definition
SOLAS is the IMO's principal safety instrument, originally adopted in 1914 following the Titanic. The current 1974 version has been amended many times. SOLAS chapters cover ship construction, machinery + electrical installations, fire protection, life-saving appliances, safety of navigation (Chapter V), carriage of cargoes + dangerous goods, and safety management (Chapter IX, the ISM Code). See /reference/solas for chapter detail; see /glossary/solas-chapter-v for the navigation chapter.
Authoritative source: IMO — SOLAS Convention ↗
Related
Source: IMO
High confidence
Editorial confidence: how we grade.