The Liberian Registry has issued an advisory regarding the installation and maintenance of certified safe-type electrical equipment in hazardous areas on tankers and gas carriers.
As explained, hazardous areas on tankers and gas carriers, being locations where explosive gas atmospheres exist or may likely exist, present environments unsuitable for electrical equipment that afford no additional levels of protection. Therefore, electrical equipment in these areas require special precautions in their construction, installation, use and maintenance, and is generally referred to as certified safe-type equipment.
Due to the design and construction of certified safe-type equipment, special attention is necessary by those personnel installing or maintaining the equipment. When such activities are carried out, they must be completed in a way that preserves the certified safe-type equipment’s level of protection necessary for the hazardous area in which it is installed.
When this equipment is improperly installed and/or maintained, it will commonly be identified as a deficiency among port state control officers, flag state inspectors and recognized organization surveyors. With a goal to improve the safety of the crew, ship and environment, and to avoid potential delays it is therefore important to ensure personnel are properly trained.
Guidance
This guidance applies to any shore-based or shipboard personnel installing or maintaining certified safe-type electrical equipment in hazardous areas on tankers and gas carriers.
- For shore-based personnel, documentation attesting to training should be made available upon request when such activities are carried out.
- For any shipboard personnel involved in such activities, documentation attesting to training should be available for the duration of their time onboard.
