New rules which will bring the safety of older passenger ships in line with modern standards fit for the 21st century are now in force for the UK.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has worked on The Ship Safety - Merchant Shipping (Safety Standards for Passenger Ships on Domestic Voyages) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (“Grandfather Rights”) which implements the new rules.

Among a number of new safety regulations such as carrying lifesaving equipment, fire detection and powered pumps, ships will have to comply with damage stability rules – also known as survivability – which will make sure that in the event of an accident, vessels can stay afloat long enough for all passengers to be evacuated.

These regulations are being implemented to prevent the repeat of accidents such as the Marchioness disaster in 1989, where fifty-one people died. The resulting inquiries and recommendations have underpinned the development of maritime safety legislation to improve the safety of all passengers throughout the country, and the changes announced today continue this work.

Baroness Vere, Maritime Minister, said:

“These new safety rules will help prevent avoidable tragedies and allow passengers to sail with confidence on all types of vessel, with up-to-date safety standards on older vessels and lifesaving equipment on board fit for the twenty-first century.

Katy Ware, Director of UK Maritime Services, said:

“Our absolute priority is to keep people safe on the water - there is no compromise on safety. Every passenger travelling on every boat deserves to know the same consistent standards of safety are applied.”