United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO) has just held a meeting in the Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Equipment (DE). With Denmark as the promoter, the DE Sub-Committee has strived to develop new, binding, international regulations on the protection of the crew against noise.

The work is about to be finalized, and at the meeting agreement was reached about a draft for a new binding IMO code on noise in ships (IMO Code on Noise Levels on Board Ships). The draft for the new code will now be submitted to the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), which is expected to consider it in May 2012, before it is forwarded for adoption at the session to be held in December.