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Miscellaneous
Mandatory
INF Code
The
"expanded" session of the MSC unanimously adopted resolution
MSC.87(71) which makes mandatory through a new Part D of SOLAS Chapter
VII the International Code for the Safe Carriage of Packaged
Nuclear Fuel, Plutonium and High-Level Wastes on Board Ships (INF
Code) . As such, any ship regardless of its size, carrying irradiated
nuclear fuel as cargo on board after 1 January 2001 will need to
comply with the INF Code as adopted by MSC.88(71)
An
INF Certificate of Fitness can be issued to such ships after complying
with the provisions of the INF Code. This includes, depending on
which one of the three classes of INF cargo are carried, damage
stability, cargo location, securing and temperature protection,
fire safety and ship board management training for normal operation
and emergency responses. 3.23
PSC
Recommendations
The
current resolution A.787(19) providing procedures and guidance to
port State control (PSC) officers conducting PSC inspections has
been revised, and subject to approval by the 43rd Session
of MEPC and the 21st Assembly later this year, will be
issued as a revised resolution.
The
revisions pay attention to the on board reports containing the structural
condition of bulk carriers and tankers under the enhanced survey
program. PSC officers are also provided with fundamental questions
concerning the effective functioning of the safety management system
to use when it is evident that clear grounds exist to conduct
a more detailed inspection.
The
guidance recognizes the common practice of issuing short term ISM
Code certificates (not currently permitted by SOLAS) to cover the
interim period between audit completion and issuance of the 5 year
certificate and the fact that the on board copy of the Document
of Compliance may not be authenticated and contain up-to-date annual
endorsements of the on shore Company audits. Such documents should
not therefore serve as clear grounds to conduct an expanded inspection.
Based on this, there is general agreement to accommodate such practices
in the current draft of the revised ISM Code. 10.19
Formal
Safety Assessment
The
MSC noted the work being progressed by its standing working group
on the improvement of the guidelines for the application of formal
safety assessment (FSA) as contained in MSC/Circ.829. Three principal
areas are under evaluation.
Regulatory
Impact Diagram – a general template to establish and quantify
the influence of regulators in preventing accidents from occurring
was drafted recognizing the normally indirect and remote influence
of the regulator on the underlying factors causing accidents. The
template apportions weighting value between factors influencing
an accident which is further modified by its relationship to the
best and worst possible practice. The weighting factors are cumulative
starting from the baseline event and ending at the highest (and
perhaps most remote) level of influence.
Expert
Judgement – recognizing that this is an essential part
of FSA, particularly with respect to gathering data, ranking hazards
and assessing risks, categories of general areas of expertise were
drafted with the understanding that their respective level and range
of need to be established in the future.
Human
Reliability Analysis – to more accurately assess
the frequency of system failures, techniques have been proposed
to be included in MSC/Circ.829 to incorporate the contribution of
human intervention, including the many degrees of freedom to adjust
the intended performance of marine engineering systems. The proposal
recognizes that the availability of data for human reliability is
limited primarily to the nuclear industry. Accordingly, expert judgement
becomes paramount to determine human error probability and consequences
for both normal and emergency scenarios together with influential
factors such as the environment, ergonomics and personal alertness
and health, which can lead to system failure. 14.14
Government
Responsibilities
An
Assembly resolution was drafted and subject to approval later this
year at the 21st Assembly, will urge administrations to
use its self-assessment form to determine how well the administration
was functioning in discharging its responsibilities and for purposes
of correcting identified weaknesses. The self-assessment form includes
internal criteria pertaining to the administration’s infrastructure
and management of resources and external criteria relative
to the performance of its registered fleet of ships. 10.2 |
