Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub (The Decarb Hub) on Thursday (30 July) called for a standardised approach to the design and assessment of Safe Havens on ammonia-fuelled vessels, highlighting that inconsistent interpretations of emerging regulatory requirements could result in differing safety outcomes across the future ammonia fleet. This is set out in a new report, ‘Safe Havens for ammonia-fuelled ships’, which examines how the maritime sector can apply lessons from offshore oil and gas, chemical processing and other safety-critical industries to address a new requirement introduced under the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Interim Guidelines for the Safety of Ships using Ammonia as Fuel. The new guidelines now require vessels to incorporate Safe Havens to protect crew in the event of an ammonia release. However, the report highlights that, as is often the case with interim, goal-based guidance for a new safety concept, the guidelines set high-level requirements that leave room for differing interpretations of what makes an effective Safe Haven. It proposes a shared framework to help vessel designers, operators, classification societies and flag administrations apply these requirements consistently as ammonia-fuelled vessels enter service. The Decarb’s Hub research found that Safe Havens should not be viewed as standalone spaces designed solely to prevent ammonia exposure. Instead, they should be treated as human-centred systems that form part of a vessel’s wider emergency response strategy. The report identifies three core functions that every maritime Safe Haven should provide: protection, command and control, and accessibility. Together they are intended to ensure that all crew remain protected from ammonia and other hazards, while enabling the execution of the vessel’s emergency response plan. Drawing on established practices from industries that routinely manage toxic gas hazards, the report recommends that Safe Have