Solas 74 as amended Chapter XII: Additional safety measures for bulk carriers regulation 4 specifies :
1)Bulk carriers of 150 m in length and upwards of single side skin construction, designed to carry solid bulk cargoes having a density of 1,000 kg/m3 and above, constructed on or after 1 July 1999 shall, when loaded to the summer load line, be able to withstand flooding of any one cargo hold in all loading conditions and remain afloat in a satisfactory condition of equilibrium, as specified in paragraph 3.
2) Bulk carriers of 150 m in length and upwards of single side skin construction, carrying solid bulk cargoes having a density of 1,780 kg/m3 and above, constructed before 1 July 1999 shall, when loaded to the summer load line, be able to withstand flooding of the foremost cargo hold in all loading conditions and remain afloat in a satisfactory condition of equilibrium, as specified in paragraph 3. This requirement shall be complied with in accordance with the implementation schedule specified in regulation 3.
3) Subject to the provisions of paragraph 6, the condition of equilibrium after flooding shall satisfy the condition of equilibrium laid down in the annex to resolution A.320(IX), Regulation equivalent to regulation 27 of the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966, as amended by resolution A.514(13). The assumed flooding need only take into account flooding of the cargo hold space. The permeability of a loaded hold shall be assumed as 0.9 and the permeability of an empty hold shall be assumed as 0.95, unless a permeability relevant to a particular cargo is assumed for the volume of a flooded hold occupied by cargo and a permeability of 0.95 is assumed for the remaining empty volume of the hold.
4) Bulk carriers constructed before 1 July 1999 which have been assigned a reduced freeboard in compliance with regulation 27(7) of the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966, as adopted on 5 April 1966, may be considered as complying with paragraph 2 of this regulation.
5) Bulk carriers which have been assigned a reduced freeboard in compliance with the provisions of paragraph (8) of the regulation equivalent to regulation 27 of the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966, adopted by resolution A.320(IX), as amended by resolution A.514(13), may be considered as complying with paragraphs 1 or 2, as appropriate.
6) On bulk carriers which have been assigned reduced freeboard in compliance with the provisions of regulation 27(8) set out in annex B of the Protocol of 1988 relating to the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966, the condition of equilibrium after flooding shall satisfy the relevant provisions of that Protocol.