IMSML Website Article 12/2023: Resolution MSC.527(106) - International Code for the Safety of Ships Carrying Industrial Personnel (IP Code), Part 2 of 6 - PART II of the IP Code - GOALS AND FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

This is the second of six articles on the IP Code. There are 9 distinct parts to PART II of the IP Code, titled ‘Goals and Functional Requirements’. PART II is divided into:

[1] Paragraph 1 - Industrial Personnel;

[2] Paragraph 2 - Safe Transfer of Personnel;

[3] Paragraph 3 - Subdivision and Stability;

[4] Paragraph 4 - Machinery Installations;

[5] Paragraph 5 - Electrical Installations;

[6] Paragraph 6 - Periodically Unattended Machinery Spaces;

[7] Paragraph 7 - Fire Safety;

[8] Paragraph 8 - Life-saving Appliances and Arrangements;

[9] Paragraph 9 - Dangerous Goods.

Paragraph 1 - Industrial Personnel

The first thrust of this chapter is to provide for the safe operations during the carriage of industrial personnel, see Paragraph 1.1.1. The second objective is to ensure that industrial are medically fit and familiar with the hazards associated with the operational environment, see Paragraph 1.1.2. The risks identified here are those associated with personnel transfer operations.

In addition to being medically fit, see Paragraph 1.2.1, personnel have to be effective in the operational environmental. This means:

[1] Being able to communicate with the ship’s crew, see Paragraph 1.2.2;

[2] Having received appropriate safety training, see Paragraph 1.2.3;

[3] Having onboard ship-specific safety familiarisation, see Paragraph 1.2.4;

[4] Familiarisation with the ship’s transfer arrangements and equipments, see Paragraph 1.2.5.

Paragraph 2 - Safe Transfer of Personnel

The goal is to provide for the safety of all persons involved in the transfer, see Paragraph 2.1. This includes safe and suitable means of transfer, see Paragraph 2.1. It also extends the capability to safely carry out the operations connected to personnel transfer, see Paragraph 2.1.

In order to achieve the goals above, Regulations in PART III embody arrangements to avoid injuries during personnel transfer, see Paragraph 2.2.1. The trinity of arrangements found in Paragraph 2.2.2 shall be:

[1] Designed, constructed and maintained to withstand the loads they are subjected to, see Paragraph 2.2.2.1;

[2] In the event of a loss or reduction in associated functionality, ie designed and engineered to fail in a safe condition, see Paragraph 2.2.2.2;

[3] After loss of power, capable of safely returning persons in a transfer to a safe location, see Paragraph 2.2.2.3.

Position keeping is an important capability during transfer of personnel, as well as in operations and interaction with other ships and off-shore facilities, see Paragraph 2.2.3. Therefore position keeping shall be provided and arranged in a manner that prevents accidents, see Paragraph 2.2.3.

There shall be means of ensure information on the number of industrial personnel and their identity is kept updated, see Paragraph 2.2.4. This is to ensure that actual number of persons on board is known at all times, see Paragraph 2.2.4.

Paragraph 3 - Subdivision and Stability

The objective here is to provide for adequate stability of the ship, see Paragraph 3.1. Stability has to be maintained in both intact and damaged conditions, see Paragraph 3.1. In order to achieve this, the total number of persons on board is an important consideration, see Paragraph 3.1.

An important functional requirement under Paragraph 3.2 is that the ship is to be designed with weathertight and watertight boundaries in order to provide an adequate stability standard. This stability standard shall be achieved regardless of whether the ship in in intact or damaged condition, taking into account the total number of persons on board, see Paragraph 3.2.

Note that this functional requirement is embodied in the Regulations in Parts IV and V.

Paragraph 4 - Machinery Installations

The objective of Paragraph 4 is to provide for machinery installations capable of delivering the required functionality, see Paragraph 4.1. The functionality includes ensuring safe navigation and safe carriage of persons on board, see Paragraph 4.1. The functionality covers normal operations and in any emergency situation, factoring in the total number of persons on board, see Paragraph 4.1.

Paragraph 4.2 provides the functional requirements which are needed to achieve the requirements in Paragraph 4.1 above:

[1] Required capacity to ensure functionality of any machinery system. This is dependent on the number of persons on board the vessel. In particular, there shall be necessary additional capacity on board, see Paragraph 4.2.1;

[2] Capability for maintenance of steerage after any incident affecting machinery installations, see Paragraph 4.2.2;

[3] Having necessary redundancy or isolation (or both) for essential systems. This is to ensure the capability of safely accommodating persons on board after any incident affecting machinery installations, see Paragraph 4.2.3. Note that the number of persons on board must be taken into account for these essential systems, see Paragraph 4.2.3.

Paragraph 5 - Electrical Installations

The objective of Paragraph 5 is to ensure the functionality of emergency power sources for essential systems. The electrical power systems shall be capable of functioning is emergencies, taking into account the total number of persons on board the ship, see Paragraph 5.1.1. A further aim is to protect all persons on board from electrical hazards, see Paragraph 5.1.2.

In order to achieve the objectives above, the following functional requirements are embodied in Regulations in Parts IV and V:

[1] Necessary redundancy or isolation (or a combination of both) of emergency power supply to essential systems. This is to ensure the capability of safely accommodating persons on board after damage. The capability has to take into account the number of persons on board and the time for orderly evacuation, see Paragraph 5.2.1;

[2] The provision of precautions against shock, fire and other hazards of electrical origin, see Paragraph 5.2.2.

Paragraph 6 - Periodically Unattended Machinery Spaces

The goal for Paragraph 6.1 is simple. It is to ensure that if and when a machinery space is periodically unattended, this does not impair the safety of the ship or persons on board. In order to achieve this singular aim, functional requirements embodied in Regulations in PARTS V and V provide for:

[1] Safe operations for periodically unattended machinery spaces, that take into account the number of persons on board, see Paragraph 6.2.1;

[2] Additional control, monitoring and alarm systems to provide safe operations in periodically unattended machinery space. This shall take into account the number of persons on board. The benchmark is a level of safety equivalent to that of a normally attended machinery space, see Paragraph 6.2.2.

Paragraph 7 - Fire Safety

The goal of fire safety are two fold. First, fulfil the fire safety objectives of SOLAS, or second, the basic fire safety principles of the HSC Code. This of course, shall take into account the number of persons on board, see Paragraph 7.1 and Paragraph 7.2.

Paragraph 8 - Life-saving Appliances and Arrangements

Paragraph 8.1 provides for the appropriate and sufficient means to ensure safe abandonment of the ship and receivers of persons, see Paragraph 8.1. To achieve this, functional requirements embodied in Regulations in PARTS IV and V provide for the following:

[1] Capacity of the survival craft that is sufficient to accommodate all persons on board, see Paragraph 8.2.1;

[2] Appropriate and sufficient personal life saving appliances that shall be available for all persons on board, see Paragraph 8.2.2;

[3] Ensuring sufficient space for assembling and mustering, see Paragraph 8.2.3;

[4] Emergency communication to all persons on board the ship through onboard communication and alarm systems, see Paragraph 8.2.4;

[5] Means to ensure safe recovery of persons, see Paragraph 8.2.5.

Paragraph 9 - Dangerous Goods.

The provision on dangerous goods in Paragraph 9 is two pronged. First, safe carriage of industrial personnel whilst transporting dangerous goods. Second, extending such safe carriage to handling of dangerous goods on ships certified in accordance with the Code, see Paragraph 9.1 and Paragraph 9.2. Note that the functional requirement to achieve this are embodied in Regulations in PARTS IV and V.

Thank you for reading IMSML Website Article 12/2023

Stay tuned for the next IMSML Website Article 13/2023: Resolution MSC.527(106) - International Code for the Safety of Ships Carrying Industrial Personnel (IP Code), Part 3 of 6 - PART III of the IP Code - REGULATIONS

Signing-off for today,

Dr Irwin Ooi Ui Joo, LL.B(Hons.)(Glamorgan); LL.M (Cardiff); Ph.D (Cardiff); CMILT

Professor of Maritime and Transport Law

Head of the Centre for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution

Faculty of Law

Universiti Teknologi MARA Shah Alam

Selangor, Malaysia

Friday, 1 September 2023

Note that I am the corresponding author for the IMSML Website Articles. My official email address is: uijoo310@uitm.edu.my