The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is highlighting to vessel operators the importance of planned maintenance in ensuring safe operation of ships, and says it will increase its focus on planned maintenance during Port State Control inspections.

Recent incidents have demonstrated the potentially serious consequences of a lack of effective maintenance of main engines and power generation systems that can pose serious risks to the safe and pollution-free operation of vessels.

In response to this, AMSA will immediately increase focus on planned maintenance during routine Port State Control inspections. During Port State Control inspections, AMSA will place a greater focus on planned maintenance of propulsion and auxiliary equipment and associated systems and will take necessary compliance actions to address any identified areas of concern. This may include the physical attendance of classification society surveyors to verify the condition of critical equipment and its suitability to continue to function under all voyage conditions to maintain safe operations.

Operators should note that this is not a Focused Inspection Campaign (FIC) or Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) of limited duration. It is a sustained focus on an identified area of concern that is part of AMSA’s data driven and risk-based approach to our PSC inspection regime.

ISM Code

Maintenance of the ship and equipment is a requirement of the ISM Code, including that:
– Maintenance inspections are held at appropriate intervals;
– Any non-conformity is reported, with its possible cause, if known;
– Appropriate corrective action is taken;
– Records of these activities are maintained.

In relation to maintenance, the ISM Code specifically states that the vessel’s Safety Management System (SMS) should:
– Identify equipment and technical systems that would cause hazardous situations if they were to suddenly fail;
– Provide for specific measures (i.e. regular testing of all equipment including stand-by equipment or systems that are not in continuous use) to ensure the continued reliability of such equipment or systems.

Finally, maintenance activities need to be properly resourced, and procedures must be documented.

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


DNV has awarded vessel owner, TechnipFMC, its first class notation for Data Driven Verification (DDV) of Dynamic Positioning (DP) systems. In addition, Kongsberg Maritime’s Dynamic Positioning Digital Survey (DPDS) has been awarded an Approval in Principle (AiP) under the DDV notation and was the software system used in the data-driven verification process for the DP systems that have been tested onboard Deep Star.

Dynamic Positioning systems are used by offshore vessels for accurate maneuvering, for maintaining a fixed position or for track keeping (pipe/cable laying). These systems require classification which is normally performed via onboard inspections where the surveyor witnesses tests of the DP system and collects the relevant data for assessment by the classification society.

“We are proud to be the first company in the world to have been awarded the DDV Class notation for Dynamic Positioning systems,” said David Jousset, Vice President OneFleet at TechnipFMC. “With this notation, the TechnipFMC vessel Deep Star can perform annual DP trials remotely with increased flexibility in planning, improved consistency, and increased transparent data sharing. This is a significant step in leveraging new capabilities in the digital space and bringing added value to our clients through greater efficiency and improved fleet utilisation.” TechnipFMC is looking to scale this approach to its entire fleet in the coming months.

With the DDV class notation the testing of the DP system can now be performed on board more conveniently with the support of the crew and without the need for a surveyor to physically attend. The use of a digital system enables the crew to run test activities and automatically harvest secure and reliable data on the vessel’s behavior. This data can then be verified by the surveyor using a digital playback application.

“Innovative digital systems are propelling the industry forward, enabling more efficient processes and deeper insights,” said Arnstein Eknes, segment director – Special Ships, DNV Maritime. “At DNV we are very pleased to be working in partnership with TechnipFMC and Kongsberg Maritime to show the industry how we can begin to realise these gains. The lessons we learn from developing and using these new systems are making class processes smoother, giving greater flexibility to owners, operators and most importantly crews. While at the same time, we are building data sets that are reliable and unlock value across the industry.”

The DDV class notation sets the requirements for the gathering, treatment, and delivery of collected data to ensure the quality of this data for use in a class assessment. This means that for the specified systems, the verified data can be used in the certification and classification of those systems in maritime and offshore vessels.

The notation enables secure and tamper-free data harvesting to be performed by the crew without surveyors being present onboard. Compared to traditional paper-based test reports, the body of evidence represents an accurate and detailed documentation of test activities, which can be revisited for as long as the data is stored. The notation covers several different verification methods, including self-verifying systems and digital twins.


The fire-stricken passenger vessel Spirit of Norfolk was towed on Sunday to Colonna’s Shipyard where U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board investigators will continue work to determine what ignited the blaze.

The fire, which broke out aboard the 169-foot-long yacht style passenger vessel last Tuesday, was confirmed extinguished as of 9:58 a.m. Saturday, the Coast Guard said. Officials said early on that the fire is believed to have started in the vessel’s engine room before it spread up all three decks and through the entire length of the 169-foot vessel, though the official investigation is ongoing.

More than 100 passengers, the vast majority of them school children, were rescued from the blaze. No injuries were reported.

Crews continued dewatering efforts through the weekend, and final surveys and stability assessments were conducted to ensure the vessel was safe to tow. Divers also inspected the hull and sealed off access points to prevent water from entering.

The Coast Guard said it will continue to maintain oversight and monitor the vessel, which must request permission from the Captain of the Port for any future movement.

The vessel’s operator, Hornblower’s City Cruises, is working to determine whether the vessel will be declared a total loss.


Concentrated inspection – Different PSC regimes have announced their concentrated inspection campaigns (CICs) for auxiliary machines starting 1 June and for MARPOL VI from 1 September. The US Coast Guard carries out a CIC from May 2018 to 2019 on open lifeboats of US-flagged ships.

 

CICs are periodical inspections that focus on a specific topic. They are carried out during routine PSC inspections, with an additional checklist, for a period of three months. A brief summary:

1. Black Sea MoU, Indian Ocean MoU, Paris MoU, Tokyo MoU CIC on MARPOL VI starting on 1 September

The CIC will start in these PSC regimes on 1 September and last until 30 November. The additional questionnaire is expected to be published at the beginning of August to raise awareness for compliance with requirements on the prevention of air pollution from ships. Once the additional questionnaire is published, we will issue an additional news.

The goal of the CIC is to check the actual status of ships regarding conformity with air pollution prevention requirements. It also aims to enforce awareness of new maximum limits for sulphur in ship fuel oil, which will enter into force on 1 January 2020.

Usually, this additional questionnaire for the CIC focuses on the main deficiencies in the area(s) found during previous years. World statistics for the last three years show main deficiencies related to incinerator and record book of engine parameters (with deficiency code):

  • (14206) Record book of engine parameters
  • (14608) Incinerator including operations and operating manual
  • (01124) International Air Pollution Prevention Certificate (IAPP)
  • (14611) Ozone-depleting substances
  • (01125) Engine International Air Pollution Prev. Cert.
  • (01328) Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan
  • (14610) Operational procedures for engines or equipment
  • (01138) International Energy Efficiency Certificate
  • (14604) Bunker delivery notes
  • (14615) Fuel changeover procedure

The majority of detainable deficiencies for DNV GL-classed vessels are related to the incinerator and sulphur content/quality of fuel used (deficiency codes 14617 and 14607).

Considering the above deficiencies, we assume the questionnaire items will mainly be related to operational questions and certificates or manuals. In particular, the ship-specific fuel changeover procedure is assumed to be targeted. In some ports, fuel samples may be taken and analyzed on short notice.

Another relevant topic is related to the cooling mediums from freezers and air condition plants and the related documentation, recorded as ozone-depleting substances (deficiency code 14611).

We would like to remind you that all these operational deficiencies are often related to the Safety Management System (SMS) and will likely trigger an ISM-related deficiency, especially in case of numerous or repeated deficiencies.

 

SOURCE DNV-GL


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