IMO guidance relevant to SAR January 2016

The International Maritime Organization provides guidance in two ways:

1. in publications available for purchase in hard copy or electronic versions; and
2. as Resolutions, Circulars and other documents which are freely available for download in pdf
format.
This document is intended to list all the IMO guidance currently available which is relevant to SAR. It
includes all the IMO publications and documents recommended to be held by an RCC in Circular
SAR.7/Circ.12, where still applicable.
The freely available documents are available on the IMRF website: click on IMO Documents under
the Resources tab at www.international-maritime-rescue.org.
Questions or comments? Please contact us at info@imrf.org.uk.

Guidance available for purchase

Please note that IMRF Members may purchase IMO publications at a 20% discount by using our online
bookshop: click on the IMRF Bookshop link at www.international-maritime-rescue.org.

IMO Conventions

International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) consolidated edition 2014
Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea consolidated
edition 2003
International Convention on Search and Rescue (SAR Convention) 2006 edition

SAR

International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue (IAMSAR) Manual Volume I,
Organization and Management 2013 edition1
International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue (IAMSAR) Manual Volume II,
Mission Coordination 2013 edition1
International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue (IAMSAR) Manual Volume III,
Mobile Facilities 2013 edition1
Pocket Guide to Recovery Techniques 2014 edition2

A revised edition of the IAMSAR Manual is published every three years: the next edition will become available
in 2016. Amendments to the 2013 edition are contained in MSC Circular 1513: see the list of Circulars.
2
The main text of this Pocket Guide is available in MSC Circular 1182: see list of Circulars.

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Medical

ILO/IMO/WHO International Medical Guide for Ships 3rd edition

Pocket Guide to Cold Water Survival 2012 edition3

Communications

Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) Manual 2015 edition
Guidance on GMDSS Distress Alerts Cards 2013 edition
GMDSS Operating Guidance Card 1992 edition
IMO Standard Marine Communication Phrases 2005 edition
International Code of Signals 2005 edition
International SafetyNET Manual 2011 edition4
IMO/IHO/WMO Manual on Maritime Safety Information (MSI) 2015 edition
NAVTEX Manual 2012 edition5

Other information

International Life Saving Appliances (LSA) Code 2010 edition

Guidelines for Ships Operating in Polar Waters 2010 edition
International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code 2012 edition
IMDG Code Supplement 2014 edition

Model Courses

Radar, ARPA, Bridge Teamwork and Search and Rescue 1999 edition
Elementary First Aid 2000 edition
Medical First Aid 2000 edition
Medical Care 2000 edition
Personal Survival Techniques 2000 edition
Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting 2000 edition
Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats (other than Fast Rescue Boats) 2000 edition
Proficiency in Fast Rescue Boats 2000 edition
General Operators Certificate for GMDSS 2015 edition
Restricted Operators Certificate for GMDSS 2015 edition
Maritime English 2015 edition
Proficiency in Crisis Management and Human Behaviour Training including Passenger Safety,
Cargo Safety and Hull Integrity Training 2000 edition
Leadership and Teamwork 2014 edition
Advanced Training in Fire Fighting 2000 edition
SAR Administration (IAMSAR Manual Volume I) 2014 edition
SAR On-Scene Coordinator (IAMSAR Manual Volume III) 2014 edition

The main text of this Pocket Guide is available in MSC Circular 1185: see list of Circulars.
See also Circular MSC.1/Circ.1364.
5
See also Circular MSC.1/Circ.1403.
4

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IMO Resolutions
Copies of these Resolutions are listed by subject on the IMRF website, www.international-maritimerescue.org: click on the IMO Documents link.

SAR

A.919(22): Acceptance and implementation of the International Convention on Maritime

Search and Rescue, 1979, as amended adopted 29 Nov 2001
A.920(22): Review of safety measures and procedures for the treatment of persons rescued
at sea adopted 29 Nov 2001
A.949(23): Guidelines on places of refuge for ships in need of assistance adopted 5 Dec
2003
MSC.167(78): Guidelines on the treatment of persons rescued at sea
MSC.346(91): application of SOLAS regulation III/17-1 to ships to which SOLAS chapter III
does not apply adopted 30 Nov 20126

Communications

A.814(19): Guidelines for the avoidance of false distress alerts adopted 23 Nov 1995
A.856(20): Guidance to Administrations on development of a shore-based SAR
telecommunication infrastructure adopted 27 Nov 1997
A.887(21): Establishment, updating and retrieval of the information contained in the
registration databases for the GMDSS adopted 25 Nov 1999
MSC.131(75): Maintenance of a continuous listening watch on VHF channel by SOLAS ships
whilst at sea and installation of VHF DSC facilities on non-SOLAS ships adopted 21 May
2002
A.954(23): Proper use of VHF channels at sea adopted 5 Dec 2003
MSC.199(80): Adoption of amendments to provision of radio services for the GMDSS
adopted 16 May 20057
A.1001(25): Criteria for the provision of mobile satellite communication systems in the
GMDSS adopted 29 Nov 2007

Maritime Safety Information (MSI)

A.705(17) amendments: promulgation of MSI adopted 9 Dec 20088

A.706(17) amendments: World-Wide Navigational Warning Service adopted 9 Dec 20089
MSC.305(87): Guidelines on operational procedures for the promulgation of MSI concerning
acts of piracy and piracy counter-measure operations adopted 17 May 2010
A.1051(27): IMO/WMO Worldwide Met-Ocean Information and Warning Service guidance
document adopted 30 Nov 2011

See Circular MSC.1/Circ.1447.

Amends Resolution A.801(19).
8
See Circular MSC.1/Circ.1287/Rev.1.
9
See Circular MSC.1/Circ.1288/Rev.1.
7

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Other information

A.855(20): Standards for on-board helicopter facilities adopted 27 Nov 1997

A.950(23): Maritime Assistance Services (MAS) adopted 5 Dec 2003
A.999(25): Guidelines on voyage planning for passenger ships operating in remote areas
adopted adopted 29 Nov 2007
A.1072(28): Revised guidelines for a structure of an integrated system of contingency
planning for shipboard emergencies adopted 4 Dec 2013
A.1074(28): Notification and circulation through the Global Integrated Shipping Information
System (GISIS) adopted 4 Dec 2013
A.1091(28): Guidelines on preservation and collection of evidence following an allegation of
a serious crime having taken place on board a ship or following a report of a missing person
from a ship, and pastoral and medical care of persons affected adopted 4 Dec 2013

IMO Circulars
Copies of these Circulars are listed by subject on the IMRF website, www.international-maritime-rescue.org:
click on the Resources / IMO Documents links.10

SAR administration

COMSAR.1/Circ.52: Questionnaire on the availability of SAR services 17 Mar 2010

SAR.8/Circ.4: Availability of SAR Services 1 Dec 201211
COMSAR.1/Circ.55: Guidance for entering and updating information on SAR services into
GISIS and on how to get access to the information for operational use 30 Nov 2012
SAR.7/Circ.12: List of documents and publications which should be held by a Maritime or
Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) 31 March 201512

SAR operations

COMSAR/Circ.22: Guidance on data fields for SAR databases 20 Jun 2000

COMSAR/Circ.31: Guidance for mass rescue operations 6 Feb 2003
MSC/Circ.1073: Directives for MRCCs on acts of violence against ships 10 Jun 2003
MSC/Circ.1079: Guidelines for preparing plans for co-operation between SAR services and
passenger ships 10 Jul 2003
MSC.1/Circ.1182/Rev.1: Guide to recovery techniques 21 Nov 201413

10

SAR.1 Circulars report IMO Member Government accessions and successions to/from the SAR Convention.
SAR.6 Circulars report agreements on SAR Regions. These Circulars are not on the IMRF website but may be
obtained on request from info@imrf.org.uk. Other numbers in the SAR series are not currently in use.
11
This is the last update on the status of the Global SAR Plan issued as a Circular. Users should now refer to the
Radiocommunications and Search and Rescue module of IMOs Global Integrated Shipping Information System
(GISIS), available at www.imo.org. (GISIS is to be amended, with SAR Service information to be held in a
Global SAR Plan module.) IMO Member Governments are requested to keep this module up to date: see
COMSAR.1/Circ.55.
12
Note that this Circular is updated every two years. The latest editions of the IMO documents and
publications listed in this Circular are also included in this list.
13
See also Resolution MSC.346(91), Circular MSC.1/Circ.1447, and the Pocket Guide to Recovery Techniques.

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MSC.1/Circ.1183: Guidelines on the provision of external support as an aid to incident

containment for SAR authorities and others concerned 31 May 2006
MSC.1/Circ.1186: Guidelines on the training of SAR service personnel working in major
incidents 1 Jun 2006
MSC.1/Circ.1338/Rev.1: Guidance to SAR services in relation to requesting and receiving
long-range identification and tracking (LRIT) information 21 Nov 2014
MSC.1/Circ.1447: Guidelines for the development of plans and procedures for recovery of
persons from the water 14 Dec 2012
MSC.1/Circ.1513: amendments to the 2013 edition of the IAMSAR Manual 28 Jul 201514
MSC.5/Circ.13/Rev.2: information on Maritime Assistance Services 9 Nov 1515

Medical

MSC/Circ.960: Medical assistance at sea 20 Jun 2000

MSC/Circ.1042: List of contents of the emergency medical kit/bag and medical consideration
for its use on ro-ro passenger ships not normally carrying a medical doctor 28 May 2002
MSC/Circ.1105: Guidance on responsibility and liability issues related to the use of the
emergency medical kit/bag and evaluation of its use in emergency incidents 25 Feb 2004
MSC/Circ.1172: Identification of passenger ships, other than ro-ro passenger ships, which
should benefit from being equipped with the emergency medical kit/bag 23 May 2005
MSC.1/Circ.1218: Guidance on exchange of medical information between telemedical
assistance services (TMAS) involved in international SAR operations 15 Dec 2006
MSC.1/Circ.1185/Rev.1: Guide for cold water survival 30 Nov 2012

Communications systems

COMSAR/Circ.37: Guidance on minimum communication needs of MRCCs 28 Feb 2005

MSC.1/Circ.1208: Promoting and verifying continued familiarization of GMDSS operators on
board ships 22 May 2006
MSC.1/Circ.1210/Rev.1: Guidance on the COSPAS-SARSAT international 406 MHz beacon
registration database 21 Nov 2014
MSC.1/Circ.1382/Rev.2: Revised questionnaire on shore-based facilities for the GMDSS 24
Jun 2013
COMSAR.1/Circ.53/Rev.2: List of Land Earth Station (LES) operation coordinators in the
Inmarsat system 22 Jul 201316
GMDSS.1/Circ.18: GMDSS Master Plan of shore-based facilities 1 Sep 201517

Communications procedures

MSC/Circ.803: Participation of non-SOLAS ships in the GMDSS 9 Jun 1997

14

This Circular will be revoked when the 2016 edition of the IAMSAR Manual is published.
Note that this Circular is updated fairly frequently. It is to be replaced by a new Maritime Assistance
Services module to be added to GISIS.
16
Note that this Circular is updated fairly frequently.
17
Note that this Circular is updated fairly frequently. It is to be replaced by a new GMDSS module in a
reorganisation of GISIS.
15

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MSC/Circ.892: Alerting of SAR authorities 16 Dec 1998

MSC/Circ.959: Interim procedures for MRCCs on receipt of distress alerts 20 Jun 2000
COMSAR/Circ.25: Procedure for responding to DSC distress alerts by ships 15 Mar 2001
COMSAR/Circ.29: Guidance for the voluntary use of the standardized questionnaires and
formats for reporting false alerts in collecting data on false alerts 27 May 2002
MSC/Circ.1078: Guidelines to administrations on reporting false alerts 6 Jun 2003
COMSAR/Circ.35: Recommendations on medium frequency/high frequency (MF/HF) digital
selective calling (DSC) test calls to coast stations 21 May 2004
MSC.1/Circ.1248: Minimizing delays in SAR response to distress alerts 16 Oct 2007
COMSAR.1/Circ.45: Guidance on distress alerts 4 Feb 2009
MSC.1/Circ.1365: Commercially available locating, tracking and emergency notification
devices 24 May 2010
COMSAR.1/Circ.50/Rev.3: Distress priority communications for RCCs from shore-to-ship via
Inmarsat 13 Jan 2012
COMSAR.1/Circ.56: Guidance on smartphone and other computer device SAR applications
30 Nov 2012

Maritime Safety Information (MSI)

COMSAR/Circ.3: Relations between Navarea coordinators and RCCs 19 Apr 1996

COMSAR/Circ.36: Broadcast of warnings for tsunamis and other natural disasters 18 Feb
2005
COMSAR.1/Circ.41: Analysis of MSI promulgated via the EGC SafetyNET system and
recommendations on improving its quality 16 Oct 2007
COMSAR.1/Circ.46: AIS safety-related messaging 4 Feb 2009
MSC.1/Circ.1364: Revised International SafetyNET Manual 24 May 2010
MSC.1-Circ.1310-Rev.1: Revised Joint IMO IHO WMO Manual on MSI 21 Nov 2014
MSC.1/Circ.1287/Rev.1: Promulgation of Maritime Safety Information 24 Jun 2013
MSC.1/Circ.1288/Rev.1: World-Wide Navigational Warning Service 24 Jun 2013
COMSAR.1/Circ.51/Rev.6: List of Navarea coordinators 10 Feb 201518

Other information

18

MSC/Circ.895: Recommendation on helicopter landing areas on ro-ro passenger ships 4

Feb 1999
MSC/Circ.896/Rev.1: Interim measures for combating unsafe practices associated with the
trafficking or transport of migrants by sea 12 Jun 2001
MSC/Circ.1043: Guidance on ships' daily reporting of their positions to their companies 31
May 2002
MSC/Circ.1156: Guidance on the access of public authorities, emergency response services
and pilots on board ships to which SOLAS chapter xi-2 and the ISPS Code apply 23 May
2005
MSC.1/Circ.1184: Enhanced contingency planning guidance for passenger ships operating in
areas remote from SAR facilities 31 May 2006

Note that this Circular is updated fairly frequently.

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MSC.1/Circ.1214: Performance standards for the systems and services to remain operational
on passenger ships for safe return to port and orderly evacuation and abandonment after a
casualty 15 Dec 2006
MSC.1/Circ.1333: Recommendations to Governments for preventing and suppressing piracy
and armed robbery against ships 26 Jun 2009
MSC.1/Circ.1334: Guidance to shipowners and ship operators, shipmasters and crews on
preventing and suppressing acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships 23 Jun 2009
MSC.1/Circ.1412/Rev.1: Principles and guidelines relating to the review and audit of the
performance of long-range identification and tracking (LRIT) data centres and of the
International LRIT Data Exchange 21 Nov 2014
MSC.1/Circ.1413: Basic safety guidance for yacht races or oceanic voyages by non-regulated
craft 25 May 2012

Other IMO guidance freely available

Copies of these documents are also available on the IMRF website, www.international-maritime-rescue.org.

Rescue at Sea: a guide to principles and practice as applied to refugees and migrants (IMO,
UNHCR, ICS) - 2014

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