For measuring and evaluating the noise and vibration on vessels
ClassNK has issued a new Noise and Vibration Guideline for measuring and evaluating the noise and vibration on vessels.
The guideline address the growing demand for new standards for noise and vibration on commercial vessels and provides detailed requirements for measuring and evaluating noise and vibrations in crew accommodations and machinery rooms, as well as establishes new notations for ships that comply with the new requirements.
As efforts to improve the working conditions of seafarers have come to the forefront over the past several years, vibration and noise in accommodation areas have become an increasingly important topic.
At the same time, as awareness of the detrimental effect that vibration can have on the reliability and safety of vessels’ machinery and equipment has grown, research is increasingly focused on developing new countermeasures for machinery vibration.
With the results of many such research projects just now being released, ClassNK felt the time was ripe to release a new set of standards for the maritime industry.
“This new Guideline,” said ClassNK development department general manager Toshiyuki Shigemi, “incorporates the results of the latest research on noise and vibration on board ships, along with the latest developments in international rules and regulations, and we believe that this guideline will be an important tool for shipowners, operators, and shipbuilders in their efforts to more accurately measure and more rationally evaluate the noise and vibration on these vessels.”
The new guideline is divided into two parts: Part A, which covers noise and vibration measurement criteria for accommodation spaces in line with IMO Resolution A.468 (XII), ISO 2923:1996 and ISO 6954:2000; and Part B, which covers vibration measurement criteria for rotating machinery and reciprocating machinery in line with ISO 10816.
In order to recognise compliance with the new requirements, ClassNK has established new notations for ‘Noise and Vibration Comfort’ (NVC) and ‘Mechanical Vibration Awareness’ (MVA) which will be affixed to the ship classification characters of vessels that comply with Part A and Part B respectively.
“Beyond just playing an important role in improving the work environment of seafarers, excess noise and vibration can affect not only reliability but also the safety of the ship,” said ClassNK chairman and president Noboru Ueda.
He added; “By releasing these guidelines, we hope to make a proactive contribution to the development a new generation of better and safer vessels, and support industry efforts towards safer shipping.”
At the same time, ClassNK is finalising amendments to related requirements in its class rules and plans to begin offering the new notations to vessels beginning in the autumn.
For more details, click here.
Source: Tanker Operator/ ClassNK
