Tag: safety measures

Shipbreaking still causes deaths, accidents and illnesses

Says IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu Speaking at the opening of the IMO's first meeting of the year, the Sub-Committee on Fire Protection, IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu told delegates that it was his vision that halving lives lost at sea and eradicating pirate attacks, as well as ensuring the release of all hostages can, and should, be legitimate targets, for the Organization and for shipping in the years to come.Mr Sekimizu said that the number of lives lost annually at sea has been over 1,000 for each of the past five years. Despite the difficulty in obtaining precise and reliable data for such losses, he said that approximate figures for 2012 included approximately 100 lives lost in the fishing sector, 400 in domestic operations, and around 500 in other categories, including international shipping*.An ambitious, but achievable target, he said, would be to aim for a 50 per cent reduction, to no more than 500 lives lost annually, by 2015. He said that the matter could be addressed at the IMO Symposium on Future Ship Safety in June, and went on to identify a number of mechanisms that could help the target to be reached, specifically:implementation of the Torremolinos Protocol through the ...

BC Tanker Traffic Prompts US Coast Guard Review

Call for Immediate Hold on Offshore Arctic Drilling

New, stricter, safety standards for lifeboat release and retrieval systems Amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) aimed at preventing accidents during lifeboat launching entered into force on 1 January 2013.The amendments, adopted in May 2011, add a new paragraph 5 to SOLAS regulation III/1, to require lifeboat on-load release mechanisms not complying with new International Life-Saving Appliances (LSA) Code requirements to be replaced, no later than the first scheduled dry-docking of the ship after 1 July 2014 but, in any case, not later than 1 July 2019.The SOLAS amendment is intended to establish new, stricter, safety standards for lifeboat release and retrieval systems, and will require the assessment and possible replacement of a large number of lifeboat release hooks.Information submitted by flag States on their assessments of existing lifeboat hooks is available on the Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) under Evaluation of Hooks.Source: IMO

Focus on Passenger Ship Safety in 2013 On behalf of the global cruise industry, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) today announced its support of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control's (MOU) Harmonised Verification Programme (HAVEP), through which its 27 member States will provide focused attention on passenger ship safety throughout the 2013 calendar year. During the HAVEP, Port State Control Officers will inspect passenger ships and witness a number of emergency drills and scenarios on operational controls that govern the safe operation of passenger vessels. The Paris MOU is a system of harmonized inspection procedures implemented by 27 participating maritime Administrations and covers inspection activities in the waters of the European coastal States and the North Atlantic basin from North America to Europe."The global cruise industry welcomes the Paris MOU's focus on passenger ship safety in 2013 through HAVEP, as the safety of passengers and crewmembers is the cruise industry's number one priority," said Bud Darr, vice president, technical and regulatory affairs, CLIA. "Through HAVEP, crewmembers will have additional opportunities to showcase their preparation for emergency situations in addition to demonstrating the extensive knowledge and training through the conduct of comprehensive drills which are already required by ...

Navigation Fund raised to RM45.8million

Ukraine, Russia in Safety Navigation Talks

Passenger rights now extended to travelling by sea and inland waterway inside the EU By the end of the year new EU rules to better care for passengers when travelling by sea and inland waterway will be protected by a set of minimum rights anywhere within the European Union. As from 31 December, passengers travelling by sea will have the right to claim compensation for loss or damage in the event of accidents.European Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas, responsible for transport, said: "We are keeping our promise. We are about to complete the job started some years ago: a coherent policy on passenger rights in Europe for all modes of transport. From now on, the 200 million people travelling by ship every year will have protection under this new set of rules."As from today, passengers travelling by sea and inland waterways in the EU, and in particular disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility, will benefit from similar rights to those passengers travelling by air or by train.These new rights include:adequate and accessible information for all passengers before and during their journey, as well as general information about their rights in terminals and on board ships;adequate assistance such as snacks, meals, ...

Proposal for a new directive on marine equipment (MED) The European Commission today adopted a proposal for a new directive on marine equipment (the "MED"). Marine equipment represents a significant fraction of the value of a ship, and its quality and good operation are critical for the safety of the ship and its crew, as well as for the prevention of maritime accidents and pollution of the marine environment. The marine equipment industry is a high added-value sector with high levels of investment in research and development.Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of transport, Siim Kallas stressed that "this new legislation will mean improved safety of EU vessels and their crews, the prevention of maritime accidents with a positive impact on the marine environment, and a boost for the marine equipment industry with the creation of jobs and growth."Marine equipment is any equipment that is placed on board a ship. The marine equipment sector constitutes the key supply industry of shipyards and the whole maritime industry, including offshore activities. It comprises a wide range of products and service categories, from navigational equipment to propulsion/power systems, and from cargo equipment to safety and life-saving systems (such as lifeboats, lifejackets, etc.).With ...