Seaways – May 2018

34   | Seaways | May 2018 Read Seaways online at http://www.nautinst.org/seaways

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 In most oil producing parts

of the world, tanker operation is

an accepted everyday activity.

In some regions, however, this is

not the case. In these regions, the

local authority could enhance the

acceptance of tankers by publicly

advising that, in addition to all the

usual standards and precautions,

tankers will voluntarily adopt extra

provisions to increase their safe

operation. These provisions have

to be practical and a ordable, and

directly aimed at preventing errors

of operation which could result in

damage and consequent spillage

of cargo.

Due to the current oversupply of

tankers, freight rates are low and

a shipowner would be unlikely or

unable to provide supplementary

safety provisions on an ongoing

basis without  nancial assistance

from the charterer/shipper. The

charterer in this concept would

be an oil company requiring the

carriage of its oil, and would be the

main bene ciary of accident-free

transportation. The contribution of

the charterer in paying an above-

market charter rate could enable

safer transportation of those oil

cargoes.

The provisions listed below are

intended to provide a measurable

increase in the safe operation of a

tanker.

OPTIONAL ENHANCED SAFETY

PROVISIONS FOR TANKERS

Improvement to a ship’s

operational safety could be

obtained by selecting an enhanced

procedure in place of an existing

one that o ers a lesser safety

margin, or by the addition of

personnel or equipment.

International standards set

by IMO, class or  ag de ne

safety levels for vessels trading

worldwide. These regulations

provide an adequate standard

Increasing safety in tanker operations

of protection against commonly

encountered risks, which gives the

ship a practical defence against

accidents.

It is proposed that speci c

additional precautions would

mean that the vessel would

operate with a higher safety

margin, that is the additions would

improve the safe operation of the

tanker. The cost of these safety

provisions or additions would be

re ected in the charter rate.

The safety provisions listed

below are considered to increase

a ship’s operational safety margin.

They are entirely optional.

However, where an enhanced

safety standard for a particular

vessel has been declared, that

vessel should adopt all of the

applicable provisions.

SAFETY PROVISIONS

1. Before a tanker is chartered,
   the charterer’s superintendent
   or his equivalent will visit the
   vessel and satisfy themself as
   to the apparent good order
   of the vessel. That is to say
   the vessel will not be spot-
   chartered sight unseen.


2. The tanker will not be over 10
   years of age at the time of the
   initial chartering of the vessel.


3. There are considerable
   di erences between di erent
   designs of double-hull
   tankers. All will meet IMO
   requirements, but will vary in
   the cargo tank, ballast tank and
   other structural arrangements
   and their overall strengths
   and damage tolerance
   capacities may vary. To enable
   preferential selection to be
   made for a particular tanker,
   su cient technical data would
   have to be submitted initially.


4. The tanker Master is to agree
   to divert or delay to avoid
   severe weather in excess of

Beaufort 9 in near-coastal

areas, whether the vessel is

arriving or departing.

5. The tanker Master is to con rm
   that the forward emergency
   towline is deployable within
   one hour in accordance with
   IMO requirements, and the
   aft emergency towline within
   15 minutes. Additionally, the
   ship’s ability to facilitate the
   towing connection with an
   assisting tug, including in
   heavy weather conditions, is to
   be found satisfactory.


6. The tanker is to be provided
   with su cient watchkeeping
   o cers while the vessel is
   underway to accommodate
   a schedule of maximum
   unrelieved watchkeeping
   periods for bridge watch
   o cers of 90 minutes for the
   night watches between 20.00
   and 08.00. This would require
   one more watchkeeping o cer
   in addition to the usual three
   mates. (The relieved interval
   after each 90 minutes of night
   watchkeeping would be 30
   minutes.)


7. While underway during day or
   night, a continuous watch from
   the bridge by all appropriate
   means is to be maintained,
   with duty cycles appropriate
   for maintaining vigilance. The
   bridge watch is to consist of
   at least one ship’s o cer and
   a bridgewatchman, so that
   there are always two active
   watchkeepers on the bridge
   who are not employed during
   their watch on other unrelated
   activities. Short interruptions
   by one or other of the usually
   visual watchkeepers to
   attend to other bridge duties,
   including radar observations
   and navigational matters, is
   an accepted work pattern
   and does not impair the

continuous watch standard.

8. The ship’s whistle is designed
   to be audible at 2 miles in
   still air conditions when the
   background noise on the
   receiving vessel is moderate.
   This should be supplemented
   by a directional long-range
   acoustic generator unit. The
   output of the long-range
   acoustic device should be
   su cient to alert people in
   general on the target vessel
   at 2 miles, under the same
   conditions.


9. When sea watches are
   discontinued for the purpose
   of assigning the 1st, 2nd and
   3rd mates to cargo loading or
   discharging duties, then when
   opportunity allows the sailing
   of the vessel immediately
   following cargo operations
   should not be scheduled after
   20.00 and before 08.00.


10. Appointed crew members
    are to undertake and record
    daily monitoring of important
    machinery including
    generators, steering gear,
    navigational electronics and
    other self-selected items.
    (The extent of list to be to the
    charterer’s satisfaction.)


11. The safe performance of
    the crew is to be assisted by
    the provision of evidently
    satisfactory employment
    conditions. (To charterer’s
    satisfaction.)


12. The number and quali cation
    of crew members is to be
    evidently su cient for the
    usual operation of the vessel,
    including continuously
    manned engine room.
    B M Johnston FNI

Letters_SGS.indd 34 17/04/2018 13:58