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51st session of IMO’s Sub-Committee on Design and Equipment (DE)
On 18 – 22 February 2008, the IMO Sub-Committee on Design and Equipment (DE) held its 51st session in Bonn, Germany.
The main items on the agenda were:
Life-saving appliances
The Sub-Committee established a working group tasked with looking into an extensive series of questions concerning life-saving appliances.
Among other things it was decided to establish guidelines to enable persons, who are not authorised by the manufacturer, to carry out service etc. of the life-saving appliances provided that such persons have been authorised by the Administration.
The Sub-Committee did not agree on the regulations as a number of the delegations found that the established procedure did not adequately ensure a free market. It was thus decided that the guidelines should be considered as temporary for the time being and that to establish a correspondence group should be established tasked with clarifying the issue.
The Sub-Committee decided to modify ”the average weight” for persons in lifeboats etc. It was decided to maintain an average weight of 75 kg on passenger ships, since such ships typically carry men, women and children on board. The limit for cargo ships was increased to 82.5 kg.
The Maritime Safety Committee will be asked to approve these amendments at a future session.
Due to the very large number of items on the agenda of the working group on life-saving appliances, the question previously raised by Denmark concerning service intervals for life rafts was postponed for further discussion in a correspondence group prior to DE 52 with a view to incorporate the proposal in a guidance.
Additionally it was not possible to conclude the discussion on new design of the on-load release hooks for lifeboats. Consequently these discussions will also continue in the correspondence group and during the next meeting of the Sub-Committee in 2009.
Revision of the SPS Code (Code of Safety for Special Purpose Ships)
DE 52 continued the discussion on the revised SPS Code. Since the meeting of the Sub-Committee in 2007 (DE 51) a correspondence group had worked on the revision. The Sub-Committee in general supported the work of the correspondence group.
Denmark had participated actively in the revision and supported it in principle. However, Denmark was hesitant with regards to the proposed definition of “special personnel”. Denmark found the definition to be too broad as it could entail that persons, who in reality are de facto passengers, can be transported by ships that are subject to the Code. This would in particular be the case for training ships. By this the ships should not comply with the more stringent security requirements otherwise applying to passenger ships.
Denmark’s objections lead to changes in the mentioned definition so that basic training should be completed before persons could be allowed to be on board ships that are subject to the Code. With regards to training ships it would in addition be required that the training on board should be aimed at qualifying students for a professional career at sea. The training should be approved by the Administration. Even though this change was a step in the right direction, Denmark maintained its reservation against this part of the revised Code.
Furthermore, a number of Member States made reservations against a provision stipulating that personnel, who are being transported to for instance off-shore facilities, should at all times be considered as passengers.
Additionally, the advantages and disadvantages caused by making the Code mandatory compared to its current status as guidance were discussed. The revised Code will be forwarded to the 84th session of the Maritime Safety Committee in May 2008 for approval.
Revision of MODU Code (Code for the Construction and Equipment of Mobile Offshore Drilling Units)
The MODU Code has been under revision for a number of years and the work continued during DE 51. The purpose with the revision is to ensure that the provisions are updated and in compliance with SOLAS. Parts of the Code containing references to the Sub-Committee on Radiocommunication, Search and Rescue (COMSAR) and the Sub-Committee on Fire Protection (FP) were examined. The work will continue during the next meeting of DE.
Amendment of the guidelines for ships operating in ice-covered waters in the Artic area
The Sub-Committee agreed to begin the work with revising the existing guidelines for ships operating in ice-covered waters in the Artic area. Partly to extend the guidelines to include ships in the Antarctic area and partly because the guidelines should be revised in accordance with the technological development. The revision included both technical regulations and regulations for education and training of seafarers.
The subject was made topical by the sinking of the cruise liner M/S EXPLORER in the Antarctic Ocean in November 2007.
The Sub-Committee established a correspondence group tasked with discussing the issue prior to DE 52 in 2009. Denmark will participate actively in this work.
Proposals concerning oil record books (MEPC.1/Circ.511 and relevant requirements in MARPOL Annex I and VI)
At 55th meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), Denmark initiated the work with a proposal specifying the regulations on oil record books. DE 50 established a correspondence group chaired by Denmark to continue the work.
DE 51 decided to continue the work by establishing a working group also chaired by Denmark. The Sub-Committee accepted the work of the working group and the result will be forwarded to the MEPC with a view to approval. Denmark was pleased to find that the result is very similar to the proposal originally presented by Denmark. Ambiguities regarding oil record books can thus be clarified.
Guidance to ensure consistent policy for determining the need for watertight doors to remain open during navigation
At its 83rd session in Copenhagen in 2007, the Maritime Safety Committee decided that DE 51 should prepare a guidance to ensure consistent policy for determining the need for watertight doors to remain open during navigation. The basis was that it could only be allowed in a few exceptional cases and only when it was regarded as absolutely necessary due to the safety of the persons, who would have to pass by such doors during the operation of the ship. Together with Norway and Sweden, Denmark submitted a proposal stating which elements should be considered in connection with such a guidance.
The Sub-Committee supported the Scandinavian paper in general and decided to establish a correspondence group tasked with preparing a proposal for the guidance before the next session of the Sub-Committee.
Definition of Bulk Carrier
Based on among other things a paper from the 27 EU Member States and the EU Commission, the discussion on when a ship can be classified as a ”bulk carrier” was taken up again. This discussion has taken place in a number of IMO bodies in recent years.
The Sub-Committee did not agree entirely on the paper and asked the delegations, who would be interested, to work together to come up with a definition. Since, however, the number of working groups allowed to be established had already been established, the work with developing a definition should be carried out on more informal terms in an “expert group”.
The delegations involved did not manage to reach agreement on the definition. This lead to an extensive procedural discussion on how the result should be reported to the Maritime Safety Committee. However, the Sub-Committee agreed that the discussion had been relevant and it was thus reflected in the report to the MSC with a view to further consideration at a later stage.
Ban on the use of asbestos
The Sub-Committee decided to suggest an expansion of the ban on the use of asbestos on ships so the previous exceptions in SOLAS should be repealed. The proposal prohibits all new installation of material containing asbestos – also in connection with repair work. The reason for this is that new material and products has appeared with alternatives to asbestos. The international regulations would thus be brought into accordance with the Danish and EU legislation on asbestos. The proposal will be forwarded to the Maritime Safety Committee for approval at MSC 85 and with a view to adoption at MSC 86 in 2009.
Development of corrosion protection (coating standards) of essential hull structures etc.
DE continued the discussion on guidelines as well as the mandatory coating standards for ballast tanks etc. in a number of ship types subject to SOLAS. The purpose was to ensure more adequate corrosion protection of the exposed parts of the ships’ hull structure. The following was discussed:
Guidelines for maintenance and repair of protective coatings in ballast tanks in all types of ships, requirements and standard for corrosion protection of means of access arrangements in ballast tanks and regulations for corrosion protection of cargo tanks in crude oil tanks.
The Sub-Committee agreed on the guidelines for maintenance and repair of the protective coatings in ballast tanks on oil tankers, however, not in other types of ships. It was therefore agreed to continue the work at the next meeting of the Sub-Committee.
Requirements and standard for corrosion protection of means of access arrangements in ballast tanks were adopted and forwarded to the Committee with a view to approval.
The Sub-Committee agreed in principal on a draft coating standard for corrosion protection of cargo tanks on crude oil tankers. However there was still disagreement on a couple of essential points in particular with regards to the suggested testing method for coating systems. It was therefore decided to continue the work with the suggested standard with a view to finalise the draft at the next meeting of the Sub-Committee so that it would be ready for approval at the subsequent MSC session.
30. April 2009
by
Torsten Olsen
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Press Contact
Responsible for this article
Torsten Arnt Olsen
Chief Ship Surveyor
Phone: +45 39 17 46 24
E-mail: TOL@dma.dk
Main press contact
Christoffer Muusmann
Kommunikations- og pressemedarbejder
Phone: +45 39 17 45 00
E-mail: cmu@dma.dk |
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