The Singapore Standards Council (SSC), in collaboration with the industry, together with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), has revised SS 524: 2021 – Quality Management for Bunker Supply Chain, to further enhance consistency in practices in the delivery of bunkers for vessels calling at the Port of Singapore.
First developed and launched in 2003, as one of the requirements for MPA’s Accreditation Scheme for Bunker Suppliers, TR 8 : 2003 was elevated to a Singapore Standard SS 524 in 2006. The standard has subsequently gone through one other revision in 2014.
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This latest edition supersedes Port Marine Circular No. 03 of 2015’s content of the SS 524 : 2014 which has been updated to be in alignment with the latest versions of SS 600 and SS 648.
The SS 524 : 2021 is developed to provide a benchmark for an effective and efficient quality management system for the bunker supply chain (QMBS). The changes made were mainly to address the following:
- To review terms and definition and overall SS 524 content to align to SS 648 and other relevant standards;
- To update procurement section that covers procurement process and verification of procured product to ensure better quality control;
- To review non-conformity and corrective action section in relation to control of non-conforming products;
- To align SS 524’s structure of management system to new ISO Annex SL which was published in 2020.
For licensed bunker suppliers, any annual / renewal / independent audit carried out on or after 1 April 2023 must be certified under the revised SS 524.
Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC) has already informed their accredited certification bodies for SS 524 and given them 12 months from 01 Mar 2022 to transit to SS 524 : 2021.
To ensure that bunker suppliers’ accreditation remains valid, all bunker suppliers should approach their respective SAC accredited certification bodies in advance and plan for the smooth transition to SS 524 : 2021.
