According to the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Water (Polar Code), and further amendments to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), Marshall Islands require deck officers on RMI-flagged vessels operating in Polar waters to be Polar certificated.
Marshall Islands will evaluate qualifications, training, and seagoing service on a case-by-case basis. These requirements are included in the RMI Seafarer...
The Government of Hong Kong proposed to make a new regulation under the Merchant Shipping (Seafarers) Ordinance to include the latest seafarers’ training requirements as described in the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters of the International Maritime Organization into local legislation.
Namely, a spokesman for the Transport and Housing Bureau informed on February 22, that the:
The proposed Merchant Shipping (Seafarers) (Ships Operating in Polar Waters) Regulation mandates all...
In light of the Ship Systems and Equipment (SSE 6) meeting conducted by IMO’s Sub-Committee on 4-8 March 2019, the participants agreed to draft interim guidelines on life-saving appliances and arrangements for ships operating in polar waters, to ensure they meet the needs for survival in the harsh and specific conditions in Polar waters.
Mainly, the guidelines consist of specifications of the equipment needed and would require that lifeboats and rescue boats on ships proceeding to latitudes over...
https://safety4sea.com/imos-sub-committee-agrees-on-polar-life-saving-appliances-guidelines/
IMO’s Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction (SDC 6), which took place on 4-8 February 2019, considered a first set of draft recommendations for fishing vessels and pleasure yachts operating in Polar waters.
In light of the increased traffic in the Polar waters of vessels which do not fall under the mandatory IMO instruments, such as fishing vessels and pleasure yachts, and the increased risks of pollution of the sensitive polar environment, as well as the risks to such vessels and their...
https://safety4sea.com/imo-sdc-6-polar-safety-measures-for-fishing-vessels-and-yachts/
IMO is working to prevent accidents that occur when ships are being moored at their berth in a port. A SOLAS regulation that focuses on better protecting seafarers and shore-based mooring staff from injuries during mooring operations, is set to be finalized by the Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction.
Specifically, the meeting that took place between 4 to 8 February, aspires to establish draft guidelines concerning:
https://safety4sea.com/imo-sub-committee-to-finalize-rule-for-safe-mooring/
IMO’s Polar Code aims to ensure that ships operating in the Arctic and Antarctic areas consider extremes of temperature and make sure critical equipment remains operational. Draft guidance for navigation and communication equipment intended for use on ships operating in polar waters is expected to be finalized by the current session of the Sub-Committee on Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue.
The guidance will provide recommendations on temperature and mechanical shock testing, and...
https://safety4sea.com/imo-to-finalize-polar-communication-and-navigation-equipment-guidance/
Discussing how to move forward with developing possible mandatory and recommendatory measures for ships operating in polar waters which are not currently covered by the Polar Code, IMO’s MSC 100 agreed on a roadmap which could see revisions to SOLAS and/or the Polar Code considered for adoption in 2022.
MSC 99 had already instructed the Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction (SDC) to consider recommendatory safety measures for fishing vessels of 24 m in length and over, with a view to...
https://safety4sea.com/msc-100-considers-revisions-to-polar-code/
Fuel quality and safety
IMO MSC 100 considered a proposal that the issue of fuel oil safety, which is currently regulated under MAPROL Annex VI, should be under MSC instead of MEPC, and possibly included into SOLAS.
Moreover MSC 100 concluded that it should...
https://safety4sea.com/imo-msc-100-agrees-to-tackle-sulphur-cap-safety-implications/
Handling Ships in First-Year Ice
29.11.18 – The Nautical Institute has launched the second edition of its practical guide to shiphandling in ‘new ice’ conditions in the Baltic, North Atlantic and St Lawrence Seaway.
Handling ships in first-year ice demands specialist knowledge and skills. Ice remains a major obstacle for commercial traffic and has the potential to damage propellers, main engines, rudders and hull plating. It limits the speed and manoeuvrability of vessels, putting them at greater...
The northern Bering Sea and Bering Strait region has been an ecological, cultural, and economic center for Yup’ik, Cup’ik, St. Lawrence Island Yupik, and Inupiaq peoples for centuries. Yet, recently, a combination of factors, including less sea ice and more trade and resource development, has resulted to an increased vessel traffic in the region led by huge cargo vessels, tugs, and research vessels, and is expected to continue growing.
Most of these vessels provide information on people, science...
https://safety4sea.com/northern-bering-sea-and-bering-strait-threatened-by-increasing-ship-waste/