Tag: SOLAS

Minimum requirements The Estonian Maritime Administration has issued Guidelines for ROs when recommending an exemption for a BNWAS installed prior to 1st of July 2011 requirement which are not in full compliance with the MSC.128(75) when the following minimum requirements are fulfilled:1. The BNWAS operational modes can be selected between Manual ON (in operational constantly) and Manual OFF (does not operate under any circumstances);2. The selection of the operational modes is protected by a key switch or password;3. Once operational the system remains dormant for a period between 3 and 12 min;4. At the end of this dormant period a visual indication is initiated on the bridge;5. If not reset, the system sounds additionally a first stage audible alarm on the bridge 15s after the visual indication is initiated;6. If not reset, the system sounds additionally a second stage remote audible alarm in the back-up officer and/or Master's location 15s after the first stage;7. If not reset the system sounds additionally a third stage remote audible alarm at the locations of further crew members min. 90s and max. 180s after the second stage;8. The audible alarm for the third stage is easily identifiable by its sound and indicates urgency. Moreover ...

IMO Sub-Committee on Dangerous Goods, Solid Cargoes and Containers The IMO Sub-Committee on Dangerous Goods, Solid Cargoes and Containers (DSC) during meeting earlier this month has set up a Working Group (WG) to develop amendments to SOLAS to mandate Enclosed Space Entry and Rescue Drills.In developing these amendments, the WG agreed that an enclosed space entry and rescue drill shall be conducted at least once every two months. The group also reviewed the level of participation among the crew, agreeing that crew members with enclosed space entry or rescue responsibilities shall take part in an enclosed space entry and rescue drill.The WG also considered the mandatory carriage and continuous use of an oxygen meter or other such devices but could not identify any appropriate place to mandate for all ships within SOLAS regulation III/19. Noting the provisions in SOLAS regulation VI/3, the group agreed to insert a new provision under paragraph 3 (drills) which will refer to the checking and use of protective equipment required for entry to enclosed spaces, to address this issue.The WG's draft report can be accessed here.Source : IMO

187 bodies had been recovered and 619 people had been rescued The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, has expressed his profound sadness for the loss of life in the sinking of the ro-ro ferry Spice Islander I off the coast of the United Republic of Tanzania on 10 September."We are shocked at the number of lives lost and have offered any help and technical assistance which may be required," Mr. Mitropoulos said, adding that IMO was willing to provide assistance in investigating the cause of the accident and, following on from that, in working with the United Republic of Tanzania to prevent further such accidents occurring.Mr. Mitropoulos commended the work of the Dar es Salaam Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) sub-centre (which was commissioned by IMO in 2009) in coordinating the rescue. The sub-centre confirmed to IMO on Monday (12 September) that, so far, 187 bodies had been recovered and 619 people had been rescued.While IMO regulations, such as those contained in the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), do not apply to ships trading on domestic routes, IMO has worked with a number of countries and non-governmental organizations to improve ...

India is in the process of acceding to important conventions like the Bunker Convention and OPRC The Environment Protection Act, 1986 is an Umbrella Act to combat pollution in India. As India is a party to International Conventions on Environmental protection, specific laws on pollution prevention from ships have been enacted under the relevant provisions in the Merchant Shipping Act. This was stated by the Union Minister of Shipping, Shri G.K. Vasan in a supplementary reply to a question in Lok Sabha.He further informed that India is also a party to the International Conventions on Safety of Life (SOLAS) and marine pollution, international conventions on marine pollution (MARPOL) which are the main safety and pollution related conventions of the IMO.The Minister said that in the last two years the Cabinet has approved accession to three conventions/protocols. Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of WrecksProtocol of 1996 to the Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime ClaimsMARPOL 73/78 convention Annex VI-Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships "We are in the process of acceding to other important conventions like the Bunker Convention and OPRC (Oil Pollution Response Convention) and OPRC-HNS (Oil Pollution response Convention-Hazardous and Noxious Substances) and I ...

The question is what flash point limit represents an acceptable safety risk on board ships The international shipping organisation BIMCO and the shipping giant Maersk have suggested that the time has come to review the regulatory minimum flash point limit for marine fuels, in particular for marine distillates.The International Maritime Organization (IMO) SOLAS regulation requires that fuel used on board ships shall have a flash point of not less than 60C. This is also stated as the minimum flash point limit for marine fuels in ISO 8217, the global fuel standard from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).Flashpoint refers to the lowest temperature at which a fuel can vaporise to form an ignitable mixture in air. Lowering the flash point for marine distillates from 60C to 55C would bring it into line with the limit for inland distillate fuels in Europe and potentially open up a wider supply basis for the marine fuels market.Demand for low sulphur marine gas oil (MGO) has been growing due to European Union (EU) requirements for ships at berth to use fuels with maximum 0.1% sulphur content. Demand for this fuel is expected to surge when the sulphur limit in Emission Control Areas (ECAs) falls ...

CINS - Widespread attention is drawn to major maritime incidents Widespread attention is inevitably drawn to major maritime incidents and natural catastrophes, such as the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. However, liner operators have individually been concerned about lesser problems that regularly disrupt operations and endanger lives, property and the environment. Most of these are successfully resolved by a ship's crew, often with the assistance of shore-based experts; many have the potential to lead to major incidents, such as Hanjin Pennsylvania or Hyundai Fortune.Information relating to lesser incidents has so far been anecdotal and mostly kept within individual lines' marine operations departments. Now a number of the lines have put their heads together to increase awareness of such incidents and therefore improve safety surrounding container movements and the integrity of the supply chain.A committee was formed last year, chaired by MSC and comprising CMA CGM, Evergreen, Hapag-Lloyd, and Maersk, as a step towards this greater awareness.As a result the Cargo Incident Notification System (CINS) and associated database, known as CINSnet, through which key data can be captured, has been created. The COA (Container Owners' Association) has agreed to host the database. The TT Club, as a key insurer for the transport ...

RINA has received delegation for Load Line, SOLAS, MARPOL, ISM, and Tont surveys for US flagged nage Genoa-based classification society RINA has been authorized by the U.S. Coast Guard to conduct plan review and approval and initial and subsequent surveys for U.S.-flagged cargo and passenger vessels. Under the agreement signed yesterday, RINA has received delegation for Load Line, SOLAS, MARPOL, ISM, and Tonnage survey and certification services.The MOA delegating authority and establishing guidelines for co-operation between the USCG and RINA was signed at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington yesterday, by Rear Admiral Paul F. Zukunft (Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, Security and Stewardship) USCG and Ugo Salerno, CEO, RINA.RINA was the first international classification society to sign a co-operation agreement with the USCG for foreign-flag passenger ships using US ports, and since then has worked hard with the Coast Guard to ensure that US passengers sail on safe ships. Today this new agreement recognizes the success of that agreement and makes RINAs services available to the wider US shipping industry.Source: RINA

Tribute to the memory of those who lost their lives on that fatal night The IMO Council has endorsed a proposal by IMO Secretary-General Efthimios Mitropoulos to adopt IMO: One hundred years after the Titanic as the World Maritime Day theme for 2012.The time has come for us to return to this Organizations roots and raison dêtre, i.e. safety of life at sea, Mr. Mitropoulos said.One of the consequences of the sinking, in 1912, of the Titanic, in which 1,503 people lost their lives, was the adoption, two years later, of the first International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (the SOLAS Convention).The 1914 version of the Convention was gradually superseded, respectively, by SOLAS 1929, SOLAS 1948, SOLAS 1960 (the first adopted under the auspices of IMO, then known as IMCO) and SOLAS 1974. SOLAS 1974 is still in force today, amended and updated many times.Mr. Mitropoulos said the selection of the theme proposed would provide an opportunity to:-take stock of improvements in maritime safety during the 100 years since the sinking of the Titanic;-pay tribute to the memory of those, who lost their lives in the freezing waters of the North Atlantic on that fatal night of ...

Pilot Transfer Arrangements Throughresolution MSC.308(88), MSC 88 adopted amendments to SOLAS regulation V/23 relating to pilot transfer arrangements.The background for the replacement of the existing regulation V/23 was a number of accidents that have taken place during pilot transfer. Furthermore, with MSC.1/Circ.1402 IMO encourages Port State Control officers to include inspection of pilot transfer arrangements.The new adopted regulation V/23 reads as follows:1 Application1.1 Ships engaged on voyages in the course of which pilots may be employed shall be provided with pilot transfer arrangements.1.2 Equipment and arrangements for pilot transfer which are installed on or after 1 July 2012 shall comply with the requirements of this regulation, and due regard shall be paid to the standards adopted by the Organization.1.3 Except as provided otherwise, equipment and arrangements for pilot transfer which are provided on ships before 1 July 2012 shall at least comply with the requirements of regulation 17 (Refer to resolution MSC.99(73)) or 23, as applicable, of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, in force prior to that date, and due regard shall be paid to the standards adopted by the Organization prior to that date.1.4 Equipment and arrangements installed on or after 1 July ...

Aims to combat the continuing problem of piracy UK and US maritime lawyer and maritime author Dr John Cartner is calling on the International Maritime Organisation to enact changes to the Safety at Life at Sea Convention to combat the continuing problem of piracy facing the global merchant fleet by allowing ships to carry armed guards. The governments of Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Botswana have initialled a memorandum of understanding on the implementation of a tripartite project to develop a deep-water port at Techobanine, in Mozambique's southernmost district of Matutuine.