IMO’s sub-committee on ship design and construction

Considerations of ship design and inspection received detailed scrutiny during this week’s IMO proceedings

Considerations of ship design and inspection, ranging from bridge alarms to bulk cargo access ladders, received detailed scrutiny at this week’s eleventh meeting of the IMO’s sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction.

The IMO’s 2009 Code on Alerts and Indicators was examined in consequence to a recent change in ship systems and equipment rules.  There is growing concern regarding the burden of excessive alarms, especially multiple alarms going off due to a single high-level failure (such as a total electrical failure). This current review aligns the alerts and alarms rules across a number of IMO instruments and is just one step towards addressing this distracting (yet important) issue for seafarers.

Load Line Protocol regulations were scrutinised regarding the permitted degree of guard-rail sag where chains are used in lieu of other liferails. The ability to readily disconnect and reconnect chain linked guardrails is an important element of upper-deck safety, especially for access to gaps such as boarding ladders and platforms. Thus, excessive tension is thus a negative safety factor. However, safety rules must also prevent rogues from deploying chains that sag so low as to be ineffective as a barrier.  It is through addressing such apparently small matters that IMO sub-committees make significant contributions to seafarer safety, and The Nautical Institute was proud to contribute the seafarer’s perspective to this debate.

The Nautical Institute, together with the International Transport Workers Federation, presented a detailed paper to the sub-Committee on Human Centred Design.  We are delighted that the sub-Committee noted the output from the research conducted by The Nautical Institute in partnership with The OCEAN Project (co-funded by the EU and the UK) as a beneficial contribution to enhancing seafarer input in ship design and construction.

As part of our wider engagement activities at the IMO, our Editor of Seaways represented The Nautical Institute at a press briefing held on Tuesday by Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez, and our Chief Executive Officer, Captain John Lloyd, received a briefing from Mr Dominguez on engagement with accredited non-Governmental Organisations, including The Nautical Institute.

The Nautical Institute delegation at this week’s IMO session was led by Captain Chris O’Flaherty AFNI, assisted by volunteer expert delegate Mr Marc Arpon.