Safety

Additional guidance on risk management ,safety culture and environmental management The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the International Shipping Federation (ISF) have published a new edition of their widely used Guidelines on the Application of the IMO International Safety Management (ISM) Code with additional guidance on risk management , safety culture and environmental management.ICS/ISF Secretary General, Tony Mason, explained:On 1st July, the latest amendments to the ISM Code will enter into force. Anticipating these changes, and in order to take account of other experience gained since the ISM Code first become mandatory, ICS and ISF have published a new edition of their definitive Guidelines.The first edition of the ICS/ISF Guidelines was published in 1993 and proved an invaluable tool for the majority of the worlds shipping companies as they prepared for the introduction of the then radical new regime. As well as continuing to provide a standard resource for those who need to be familiar with ISM, the revised Guidelines take full account of the latest guidance to administrations and companies that has subsequently been developed by IMO.In particular, additional guidance has been included on the maintenance of Safety Management Systems, which are at the heart of the ISM...

ICS/ISF Secretary General, Tony Mason, explained that on July 1, the latest amendments to the ISM Code will enter into force. The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the International Shipping Federation (ISF) have launched a new edition of the widely used Guidelines on the Application of the IMO International Safety Management (ISM) Code with additional guidance on risk management, safety culture and environmental management.ICS/ISF Secretary General, Tony Mason, explained that on July 1, the latest amendments to the ISM Code will enter into force.Anticipating these changes, and in order to take account of other experience gained since the ISM Code first become mandatory, ICS and ISF have published a new edition of their definitive guidelines.The first edition of the ICS/ISF Guidelines was published in 1993 and proved an invaluable tool for the majority of the worlds shipping companies as they prepared for the introduction of the then radical new regime.As well as continuing to provide a standard resource for those who need to be familiar with ISM, the revised guidelines take full account of the latest guidance to administrations and companies that has subsequently been developed by IMO.In particular, additional guidance has been included on the maintenance of Safety...

Iterim Guidance on Control and Compliance measures to enhance Maritime Security The Italian Adminisitration has announced a Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on ISPS Code based on Iterim Guidance on Control and Compliance measures to enhance Maritime Security (RESOLUTION MSC.159(78)). CIC has started on 01 May to will last until 30 June 2010, in accordance to the new Circular Letter no. 01/2010 dated 08/04/2010.As mentioned in the above Circular letter, amongst the other topics relevant only to Italian Flag vessels one of the tasks of the CIC is to carry out security control matters verification on an adequate number of foreign flag vessels, giving priority to non-EU flags.It is herewith enclosed the checklist report that will be used by Italian PSC in application of the above mentioned Concentrated Inspection Campaign of inspection on ISPS Code.http://www.safety4sea.com/admin/../images/media/pdf/24-05%20port%20state%20control.pdfSource:ecmeurope

Brief update The International Maritime Organizations Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) held its 87th session from 12th to 21st May 2010. Amongst the many issues discussed during the week and a half long meeting the following important matters were on the list of 26 agenda items on the table for this session:Goal-based new ship construction standards (GBS) The GBS consist of the following 5 tiers namely:I.GoalsII.Functional requirementsIII.Verification of complianceIV.IMO requirements, national requirements and classification rules V.Industry standards and practicesIMOs involvement in the GBS is currently limited to the above mentioned Tiers I III. The work on Tier I and II has been completed. Currently, IMO is looking at Tier III in order to balance the extensive cost of detailed verification against added benefit to safety. If as envisaged the primary discussions on this topic during MSC 87 had been related to the Ship Construction File (SCF) and the outcome of the Committees deliberations, including an joint industry submission(cosponsored by BIMCO) on the subject, this would have lead to the establishment of a joint industry SCF working group where BIMCO would be represented.Ship design and equipment (DE)The Committees deliberations included debates related to coating performance standards and a BIMCO cosponsored industry submission...

Members are also urged to ensure that these amendments are reflected in the Company and Ship Safety Management Systems. Members are kindly reminded about the changes to the International Safety Management (ISM) Code that enters into force 1 July 2010 by IMO Resolution MSC.273(85) and members are also urged to ensure that these amendments are reflected in the Company and Ship Safety Management Systems.Summary of the above mentioned changes to the ISM Code:Paragraph 1.1.10 - The definition of a major non-conformity makes it clear that this can be either a lack of effective and systematic implementation of a requirement of this Code or an identifiable deviation that poses a serious threat to the safety of personnel or the ship or a serious risk to the environment that requires immediate corrective action.Paragraph 1.2.2. - The objectives explicitly require assessment of all identified risks to the Companys ships, personnel and the environment; the requirement to establish appropriate safeguards remains.Paragraph 5.1.5. - The Masters responsibility to review the Safety Management System (SMS) and report its deficiencies to the shore based management have to be periodic.Paragraph 7 - The requirement to establish procedures for key shipboard operations is rephrased to concern the safety of...

The Paris Memorandum of Understanding With the introduction of the NIR the PMoU will change its target of inspecting 25% of individual ships calling at each member State to a shared commitment for full coverage of inspecting all ships visiting ports and anchorages in the PMoU region as a whole. The Target Factor will be replaced by the Ship Risk Profile. The Ship Risk Profile classifies ships into Low Risk Ships (LRS) and High Risk Ships (HRS). If a ship is neither Low Risk or High Risk it is classified as Standard Risk Ship (SRS).The company performance criteria for the calculation of the Ship Risk Profile is a new parameter in the PMoU. The PMoU has established a formula which takes into consideration the deficiencies and detentions in the last 36 months of the companys fleet, based on the IMO company number and compares it to the average of all vessels inspected in the PMoU to determine the performance level. The companies will be ranked into very low, low, medium and high. Any Refusal of Access (Ban) will have a negative impact on the ranking of the companywill be subject to more in-depth and more frequent inspections.1. The new target...

Rob Lomas, Intercargo Secretary General said Port State Control is an important tool in promoting the idea of a safe and environmentally friendly dry bulk sector." On 13 May 2010, the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (Intercargo) launched their publication Benchmarking Bulk Carriers 2009-10. Now in its fourth year of publication, the hard-copy report contains statistical information concerning the world bulk carrier fleet, together with an informative narrative for issues such as recent and future Port State Control activities including Concentrated Inspection Campaigns, a detailed Casualty Report, an analysis of Negative Performance Indicators such as collisions and groundings, and an analysis of Port State Control deficiencies and detentions during 2009.Speaking of the publication, Rob Lomas, Intercargo Secretary General said Port State Control is an important tool in promoting the idea of a safe and environmentally friendly dry bulk sector. 2009 was marked by fleet growth and changes to the overall structure of the industry including the establishment of many new dry bulk companies. Our report will assist MOUs and owners to benchmark their own performance against an industry average as well as identifying those factors in the internal management of the ships most in need of attention. This year,...

The Republic of Nauru became the 12th country to ratify the 2005 SUA Protocol and the 10th to ratify the 2005 Fixed Platforms Protocol. Maritime security has been boosted with the latest ratification of the 2005 Protocol to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (SUA). The Republic of Nauru submitted its instrument of ratification of the 2005 Protocols on 29 April 2010, becoming the 12th country to ratify the 2005 SUA Protocol and the 10th to ratify the 2005 Fixed Platforms Protocol.The 2005 Protocols revised the original SUA treaties of 1988 to ensure that the legal framework developed by IMO is kept up to date and provides an adequate basis for the arrest, detention and extradition of alleged terrorists acting against shipping or ports or when using ships to perpetrate acts of terrorism.They substantially extend the list of criminal offences actionable under the 1988 treaties and include new rules on consensual boarding, which are of prime importance as they provide States with the necessary legal basis to intercept terrorist activities at sea that are planned or already in progress.The 2005 Protocols were adopted on 14 October 2005, at a Diplomatic Conference held...

The worlds largest marine Emissions Control Area (ECA) has been approved by the International Maritime Organization Ships operating in waters off the North American coasts will be forced to use dramatically cleaner fuel and technology. The move is likely to make it easier for the EU to designate ECAs in European waters.The IMOs decision last month to approve the ECA proposal came in the shortest possible time, just one year since it was first proposed. It means ships visiting American and Canadian ports will have to use fuels with a sulphur content of no more than 1,000 parts per million from 2012, and be fitted with advanced emissions control technologies starting in 2016.If properly enforced, the new rules are expected to reduce sulphur content in fuel by 98%, which in turn will reduce particulate matter emissions by 85% and nitrogen oxides by 80%.The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the benefits will extend hundreds of kilometres inland, bringing nearly five million people relief from acute breathing problems by 2020, and avoiding 8,300 premature deaths each year. This is a change that will benefit millions of people and set in motion new innovations for the shipping industry, said Lisa Jackson of...

The IMO campaign aims to raise awareness and offer greater support to the worlds invisible workforce of seafarers Teekay Shipping is leading the way in the Sailors Societys fundraising initiative to honour the International Maritime Organizations (IMO) Year of the Seafarer campaign. The IMO campaign aims to raise awareness and offer greater support to the worlds invisible workforce of seafarers and the Sailors Society is embracing this by asking organisations and individuals to donate 1 for every one of the 375,000 seafarers they aim to reach in 2010.Teekay Shipping have contributed 14,000 ($20,000) to this fundraising drive, each pound of their donation representing 14,000 of the seafarers who will be given a helping hand with practical and spiritual support by the charitys Port Chaplains this year.John Adams, Managing Director of Teekay Shipping (Glasgow) Ltd., said: We appreciate our seafarers every day of every year, but in 2010, to celebrate the Year of the Seafarer, we will pay a special tribute to the men and women who make up an integral part of our company. As part of this, we want to recognise the role our seafarers play in Teekays success but also recognise the risks and sacrifices each makes in...