It was on Thursday, December 5 when the Basel Ban Amendment, adopted by the Parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous and Their Disposal in 1995, became international law.
The ship breaking activity in developing countries, such as India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, has been subject to criticism because of the negative impacts the industry has on the environment and workers. Now, a report by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai found that there has been little improvements in the shipbreaking yards with regards to working conditions. It also presents several breaches of the national legal framework.
The Indian Union Cabinet approved the proposal of entering to the Hong Kong International Convention for Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, being the 14th country to join the convention, following the most recent member, Germany.
Lately the shipping industry has shed its focus on the 2020 sulphur cap, however, other important regulatory updates are expected to become effective from January 1st as well; for instance in the area of ship recycling, the Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) is going to bring changes for which operators need to be aware of for compliance with the requirements of both Hong Kong Convention and EU-Ship Recycling Regulation.
During the last SAFETY4SEA Hamburg Forum, Gunther Zeitzmann, Ship Recycling Engineer and member of the International HazMat Association (IHMA), highlighted the importance of preparation, certification and maintenance of an Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) for compliance with the requirements of Hong Kong Convention and EU-Ship Recycling Regulation. He further referred to key steps for effective development of IHM and certification; the operations and maintenance of the IHM and the importance of control with flags, classes and PSC.
Classification Society ClassNK has released its “Guidelines for the Inventory of Hazardous Materials (Ver.4.00), the development of which will be required for ships over 500GT after the Hong Kong Convention enters into force.
Bureau Veritas Solutions Marine & Offshore urged the shipping industry to adopt higher standards in ship recycling. For this reason, BVS provides insight into the challenges of meeting ship recycling requirements, as well ten tips to achieve compliance.
Two workers lost their lives at a shipbreaking yard in in Bangladesh, on Saturday, October 12. According to local sources, the probable cause of the deaths may have been that they inhaled toxic gas. Dangerous shipbreaking in Bangladesh is a great area of concern for human rights organizations and working unions around the world, over the unsafe working conditions and polluting ship dismantling practices.
The Government of Canada, is investing into a variety of options to recycle and dispose boats made of fibreglass, aiming to protect Canada’s land and waterways from plastic waste and marine litter. Transport Canada proposed to Canadian small and medium-sized businesses to lead innovative solutions for recycling or reusing fibreglass.
Two workers were killed and several others were injured in a Chittagong shipbreaking yard, in Bangladesh, after falling from height while attempting to climb an old ship. The incident was reported at Ziri Subedar ship-breaking yard in Sitakunda, on Saturday evening.
