International News

New developments in professional standards for marine surveyors

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Seawork 2014 saw the issue of an updated UK Workboat (Brown) Code following comprehensive updating by an industry technical working group (TWG) over a long period of time, supported by the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA). Further detailed work has been carried out by the TWG since then and the official launching of the Workboat Code Edition 2 is expected shortly.

The new Code has been enthusiastically supported by the UK workboat industry and it is hoped that this will be recognised and adopted internationally in the same way as the UK Large Yacht Code (LY3), thus countering criticism aimed at UK commercial vessel standards (i.e. those in MGN 280 (M)) by some EU Flag States, which spurred the development of the new WB code.

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Voluntary compliance of amended IMDG Code ahead of implementation on January 2018

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Different hazard signsIn May 2016 the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee adopted the amendments to the IMDG Code contained in Resolution MSC.406(96) Amendments to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code. Contracting governments may apply the new requirements, in part or in whole, on a voluntary basis from 1st January 2017. However, be aware that mandatory compliance will be required from 1st January 2018.

Due to the large number of changes to the Code, IMO Resolution MSC.406(96) contains the revised full text of volumes 1 and 2 of the Code. Of the many changes, several are of particular interest:
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Most ship fires are engine room fires says UK P&I Club

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Engine roomEngine room fires are one of the most common fires on ships owing to the presence of a wide range of sources of fuel, sources of ignition and running machinery. An extended period of time onboard a ship without a fire incident can lead to complacency and a failure to prioritise fire prevention measures and simulated fire incident practices.

The risk of a engine room fires can be substantially reduced by:
Maintaining a clean and tidy engine room.
Ensuring that machinery and emergency control equipment are installed and operating in accordance with SOLAS
Regulations and IMO Guidelines and they are routinely serviced and maintained in good working order, and subject to routine testing.
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Limited progress being made to dismantle end of life boats conference told

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What to do with end of life boats remains a challenge and the problem is mounting
What to do with end of life boats remains a challenge and the problem is mounting

There are currently 13,000 end of life boats in Holland, a figure that is predicted to rise to 75,000 by 2030. In France 500 boats were dismantled last year however there is still a backlog of at least ten to 15 years.

These are just some of the quantities affecting the industry the METSTRADE Sustainability in the Marine Industry conference was told. But Industry leaders also heard how some progress is now being made with end of life boats – albeit on a limited scale.

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Guidance on the use of drone technology issued by ABS

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A Flying DroneABS has announced the publication of the ABS Guidance Notes on Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). This comprehensive set of best practices, developed through extensive marine and offshore trials and testing, is introduced as industry considers the advantages of adopting aerial drone technology.

“UAVs provide a safer and more efficient platform for the next generation of surveys and inspections,” says ABS Vice President and Chief Surveyor Joseph Riva.

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ABS publishes free guide to conducting rack and pinion jacking gear surveys

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A drydock in the seaThe ABS has issued a freely available jacking survey guide to establish minimum requirements for the inspection of rack and pinion jacking gear at Special Periodical Survey of Hull for Self-Elevating Drilling Units.

This Guide provides more details regarding the examination of open and closed type jacking systems of a Self-Elevating Drilling Units. The maintenance crew will benefit from understanding the general and design specific survey requirements for a Rack and Pinion jacking gear. This will enable better planning, execution and consistent application of the scope of surveys and inspection during Special Surveys for jacking systems.

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NTSB issues marine accident brief regarding a fire incident

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The aftereffects of an onboard fireThe National Transportation Safety Board has issued a marine accident brief regarding a fire incident that happened aboard Freighter Alpena on 11 December 11 2015.

At about 17.40 local time, a fire broke out in the electrical control room for the aft winches aboard the freighter Alpena while the vessel was dry docked undergoing work. Shipyard workers evacuated the vessel and notified the local fire department, who extinguished the fire. No one was injured, but the Alpena sustained nearly $4 million in damage.

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UK P&I Club advises on white powder deposits on food cargoes

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Following a number of incidents involving white powder deposits being found on food cargoes that have been transported in refrigerated containers, UK P&I Club has issues some advice. The presence of aluminium oxide/hydroxide, which appears as white powder deposits on food cargoes, can result in lost transportation revenues, customer rejections, insurance claims and even government mandated destruction of the food cargoes. George Radu, Claims Executive at UK P&I Club, comments on how this cargo loss can be prevented.

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PowerCell Sweden AB has received the first marine order for two S3 prototype stacks

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Per Wassen, CEO of Powercell Sweden AB
Per Wassen, CEO of Powercell Sweden AB

The leading fuel cell company PowerCell Sweden AB (publ) has received the first marine order for two PowerCell S3 prototype stacks, which Swiss Hydrogen will install on a ship powered by photovoltaics.

“The marine industry is a very interesting area, in which our capacity to deliver electricity without emissions is extremely important. This order comprises two PowerCell S3 prototypes. The order is of strategic importance, but has a limited effect on the result. We are responsible for the fuel cells and Swiss Hydrogen will manufacture the system and conduct adjustments to certify it for the marine environment. The advantage is that our fuel cell stacks are modular and in this way we can get in a few hundred horsepower where it is required in marine applications”, said Per Wassén, CEO, PowerCell Sweden AB.

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DNV GL reveals the patterns behind incidents and accidents

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Learning from failures and incidents is essential in a lean and cost effective organisation and is often a fundamental requirement in regulations. However, incidents should not be seen in isolation as the broader view and key industry learnings might get lost. DNV GL has investigated over 2000 incidents and failures globally, identifying trends among the data and invites the oil and gas industry to join and share experiences. To further strengthen DNV GL’s global lab capabilities for failure investigation, a new lab in Bergen is opening, including one of the world’s largest tensile testing machines.

As the oil and gas industry strives for cost effective execution in projects and operations while maintaining a high focus on safety and environmental footprint, innovative and smart solutions are needed more than ever. By extracting data and knowledge from all the detailed incident investigations performed over the years, solutions might be just around the corner.

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Gard P&I Club advises on ways to minimise heat damage risk in soya bean cargoes

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Gard P&I Club reports an increase in heat related damage claims in soya bean cargoes loaded in South America
Gard P&I Club reports an increase in heat related damage claims in soya bean cargoes loaded in South America

Gard P&I Club says that many claims relating to heat damage in soya bean cargoes loaded in South America, particularly Brazil and Uruguay, mostly for discharge in China have been reported this year. Due to the relatively high value of soya beans and the fairly large quantities shipped, the disputes have in some cases involved multi-million dollar claims. In a recently published loss prevention article, Gard P&I Club highlights the importance of inspections as important visible signs that fall under the phrase “apparent condition” can reveal at an early stage the problem and recommends guidelines to assist operations involved in the transportation of soya bean cargoes.

It is important to remember that there is an obligation in law, under the relevant cargo carriage liability regimes, to inspect the cargo’s apparent order and condition at loading, to enable the Master to ensure that the bill of lading is accurate in its description of these items. The same regimes obliges the Master and his crew to properly care for the cargo once loaded.

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Automated Ships Ltd and Kongsberg to test the water with a fully automated offshore vessel

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Visualisation of the KonsbergAutomated Ships Ltd from the UK and Norway’s Kongsberg Maritime have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to build the world’s first unmanned and fully-automated vessel for offshore operations. In January 2017, Automated Ships Ltd will contract the ‘Hrönn’, which will be designed and built in Norway in co-operation with Kongsberg.

Sea trials will take place in Norway’s newly designated automated vessel test bed in the Trondheim fjord and will be conducted under the auspices of DNV GL and the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA). The Hrönn will ultimately be classed and flagged, respectively.

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