Tasik Subsea’s Diving Support Vessel Southern Star is the first ever vessel to be awarded with an ABS Infectious Disease Mitigation notation, a guide launched by ABS in November that addresses physical arrangement measures onboard.
To remind, ABS issued the guide for ‘Mitigation of Infectious Disease Transmission On Board Marine and Offshore Assets‘, including an industry’s first introduction of a notation indicating compliance with the standards.
The IDM-A (Infectious Disease Mitigation-Arrangements) notation is offered to vessels that meet the arrangement requirements addressing the configuration of spaces which can be used for the isolation and segregation of crew, passengers and onshore visitors, as well as the ventilation and interior surfaces of certain accommodation or working spaces.
Moreover, Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President, Global Engineering and Technology explained that the notation brings something new to the industry, allowing operators and owners to clearly demonstrate that the risks of infectious outbreaks have been considered.
Mr. Ryan added that
Ensuring marine and offshore assets are operationally resilient to the impacts of infectious diseases is vital today and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. We are delighted to be able to support forward thinking operators such as Tasik Subsea and advance the cause of safety of crews and assets.
Tasik CEO John Giddens commented that in light of a potential COVID-19 onboard their vessel would be a personal and commercial disaster for their crew, their clients and for their company. It would result in stopping the vessel’s work and forcing it to a quarantine anchorage for an extended period, with no movement of people on or off the vessel while the medical issues for their marine and project crew were dealt with.