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Carriage of chemicals by ship

Regulations governing the carriage of chemicals by ship are contained in the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the International Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution from Ships, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto (MARPOL 73/78).

The regulations cover chemicals carried in bulk, on chemical tankers, and chemicals carried in packaged form.

Regulations covering chemicals carried in bulk
MARPOL Annex II
Transport of vegetable oils
Chemicals carried in packaged form
Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances
Preparedness and response - dealing with pollution incidents involving chemicals

Chemicals carried in bulk

Carriage of chemicals in bulk is covered by regulations in SOLAS Chapter VII - Carriage of dangerous goods and MARPOL Annex II - Regulations for the Control of Pollution by Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk.

Both Conventions require chemical tankers built after 1 July 1986 to comply with the International Bulk Chemical Code (IBC Code), which gives international standards for the safe transport by sea in bulk of liquid dangerous chemicals, by prescribing the design and construction standards of ships involved in such transport and the equipment they should carry so as to minimize the risks to the ship, its crew and to the environment, having regard to the nature of the products carried.

The basic philosophy is one of ship types related to the hazards of the products covered by the Codes.  Each of the products may have one or more hazard properties which include flammability, toxicity, corrosivity and reactivity.

The IBC Code lists chemicals and their hazards and gives both the ship type required to carry that product as well as the environmental hazard rating.

Chemical tankers constructed before 1 July 1986 should comply with the requirements of the Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (BCH Code) – the predecessor of the IBC Code.

MARPOL Annex II

The Annex II Regulations for the control of pollution by noxious liquid substances in bulk define a four-category categorization system for noxious and liquid substances.

The categories are:

• Category X: Noxious Liquid Substances which, if discharged into the sea from tank cleaning or deballasting operations, are deemed to present a major hazard to either marine resources or human health and, therefore, justify the prohibition of the discharge into the marine environment;
• Category Y: Noxious Liquid Substances which, if discharged into the sea from tank cleaning or deballasting operations, are deemed to present a hazard to either marine resources or human health or cause harm to amenities or other legitimate uses of the sea and therefore justify a limitation on the quality and quantity of the discharge into the marine environment;
• Category Z: Noxious Liquid Substances which, if discharged into the sea from tank cleaning or deballasting operations, are deemed to present a minor hazard to either marine resources or human health and therefore justify less stringent restrictions on the quality and quantity of the discharge into the marine environment; and
• Other Substances: substances which have been evaluated and found to fall outside Category X, Y or Z because they are considered to present no harm to marine resources, human health, amenities or other legitimate uses of the sea when discharged into the sea from tank cleaning of deballasting operations. The discharge of bilge or ballast water or other residues or mixtures containing these substances are not subject to any requirements of MARPOL Annex II.

The annex also includes a number of other requirements reflecting modern stripping techniques, which specify discharge levels of products which have been incorporated into Annex II. For ships constructed on or after 1 January 2007 the maximum permitted residue in the tank and its associated piping left after discharge is set at a maximum of 75 litres for products in categories X, Y and Z (compared with previous limits which set a maximum of 100 or 300 litres, depending on the product category).

The marine pollution hazards of thousands of chemicals have been evaluated by the Evaluation of Hazardous Substances Working Group, giving a resultant GESAMP Hazard Profile which indexes the substance according to its bio-accumulation; bio-degradation; acute toxicity; chronic toxicity; long-term health effects; and effects on marine wildlife and on benthic habitats.

As a result of the hazard evaluation process and the categorization system, vegetable oils which were previously categorized as being unrestricted are now required to be carried in chemical tankers. The Annex includes, under regulation 4 Exemptions, provision for an Administration to exempt ships certified to carry individually identified vegetable oils, subject to certain provisions relating to the location of the cargo tanks carrying the identified vegetable oil.

Transport of vegetable oils
An MEPC resolution on Guidelines for the transport of vegetable oils in deep tanks or in independent tanks specially designed for the carriage of such vegetable oils on board dry cargo ships was adopted in October 2004. It allows general dry cargo ships that are currently certified to carry vegetable oil in bulk to continue to carry these vegetable oils on specific trades. The guidelines took effect on 1 January 2007.

Consequential amendments to the IBC Code
Consequential amendments to the International Bulk Chemical Code (IBC Code) have been adopted, reflecting the changes to MARPOL Annex II. The amendments incorporate revisions to the categorization of certain products relating to their properties as potential marine pollutants as well as revisions to ship type and carriage requirements following their evaluation by the Evaluation of Hazardous Substances Working Group.

Ships constructed after 1986 carrying substances identified in chapter 17 of the IBC Code must follow the requirements for design, construction, equipment and operation of ships contained in the Code.

Chemicals carried in packaged form

Chemicals which are carried in packaged form or in solid form or in bulk are regulated by Part A of SOLAS Chapter VII - Carriage of dangerous goods which includes provisions for the classification, packing, marking, labelling and placarding, documentation and stowage of dangerous goods.

Contracting Governments are required to issue instructions at the national level and the Chapter refers to International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code, developed by IMO, which is constantly updated to accommodate new dangerous goods and to supplement or revise existing provisions.

The IMDG Code was developed as a uniform international code for the transport of dangerous goods by sea covering such matters as packing, container traffic and stowage, with particular reference to the segregation of incompatible substances. The IMDG Code includes products considered to be marine pollutants.  IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee decided in principle, at its 73^rd session in Nov-Dec 2000, to make some parts of the IMDG Code mandatory.

MARPOL Annex III includes regulations for the prevention of pollution by harmful substances in packaged form and includes general requirements for the issuing of detailed standards on packing, marking, labelling, documentation, stowage, quantity limitations, exceptions and notifications for preventing pollution by harmful substances. For the purpose of Annex III, “harmful substances” are those identified as “marine pollutants” in the IMDG Code.

International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances  (HNS) by Sea 1996

The Convention, when it enters into force,  will make it possible for compensation to be paid out in compensation to victims of accidents involving HNS, such as chemicals.

HNS are defined by reference to lists of substances included in various IMO Conventions and Codes. These include oils; other liquid substances defined as noxious or dangerous; liquefied gases; liquid substances with a flashpoint not exceeding 60°C; dangerous, hazardous and harmful materials and substances carried in packaged form; and solid bulk materials defined as possessing chemical hazards.

The Convention also covers residues left by the previous carriage of HNS, other than those carried in packaged form.

The Convention defines damage as including loss of life or personal injury; loss of or damage to property outside the ship; loss or damage by contamination of the environment; the costs of preventative measures and further loss or damage caused by them.

The Convention introduces strict liability for the shipowner and a system of compulsory insurance and insurance certificates.

Preparedness and response - dealing with pollution incidents involving chemicals

The 2000 Protocol on Preparedness, Response and Co-operation to pollution Incidents by Hazardous and Noxious Substances, 2000 (HNS Protocol) is based on the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation (OPRC), which was adopted in November 1990 and is designed to help Governments combat major oil pollution incidents.

The Convention and Protocol are designed to facilitate international co-operation and mutual assistance in preparing for and responding to a major oil pollution incident and to encourage States to develop and maintain an adequate capability to deal with pollution emergencies.

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Incidents with lifeboat lowering devices

Incidents with lifeboat lowering devices
MARS Report 201126
Recently, several incidents involving trouble with the lifeboat lowering device have been reported by our fleet vessels.
Case 1: Breakdown of lifeboat brake unit
During a routine drill, the lifeboat could not be controlled by the brake unit. The brake unit was dismantled and the thrust bearing was found to have completely broken, with the thrust shaft worn out and bent. The cause of this brake failure could not be positively identified, but the manufacturer advised that this type of damage could occur if excessive (> 15 kgf) downward force is applied on the brake counterweight by the operator, usually in a panic response to the lifeboat lowering out of control, often caused by a poorly adjusted or maintained brake system.
During the last annual inspection, which took place 5 months earlier, a dynamic winch brake test could not be undertaken, because, at that time the vessel was alongside at berth, preventing the full requirements of the test being carried out.
Case 2: Parting of lifeboat self-lowering control wire
An attempt was made to swing out the lifeboat, but the remote control wire suddenly parted just after starting the swing out. The remote control wire had recently been renewed but wound the wrong way round the auxiliary drum by a person trained and certified by the manufacturer at the last inspection.
Recommendations
When tests cannot be completed during an annual inspection due to circumstances such as those described above, the outstanding tests must be completed at the earliest opportunity without fail;
In addition to authorised service personnel, crew have equal responsibility for ensuring lifeboats are in good working order and are maintained and operated properly. Therefore ship's crew should take the utmost care to check and ensure lifeboat equipment remains fit for proper operation at all times;
An arrowed line on the drum is a simple and effective measure for ensuring it is wound in the correct direction.
Manufacturers have reminded us of the following operational safety information:
General
Do not apply a downward force of more than 15 kgf to the counterweight of the brake lever, as this may damage the thrust bearings. If properly maintained and adjusted, the brake is designed to operate solely by the force applied by the counterweight.
Confirm the home position of the brake lever is in the horizontal position. The ideal position for the lever is in slight contact with the stopper pin. The allowable clearance between the stopper pin and brake lever is 10 mm.
Before operation
Check braking efficiency by slightly lifting the suspension block (sling block) from the davit by davit handle without releasing the davit arm stopper (cradle stopper).
Adjust the limit switch so that the davit arm (cradle) stops just 50 to 100 mm from the stowing position. Check that the brake holds the boat in the position. If the winch is wound with the davit arm (cradle) touching the upper stopper because the limit switch is incorrectly set, the davit will become overloaded.

During operation
When stowing the boat, it is important to equalise the length of the fore and aft boat falls. Stop hoisting just before the wire guide comes into contact with the suspension block (sling block), and check clearance between the fore and aft. If clearance balance is uneven, adjust the end turnbuckles to make the clearance uniform.
After operation
After setting the davit arm stopper (cradle stopper), raise the brake lever of the winch slowly and unwind the boat fall wire to allow the boat to lower slightly. Mount the suspension block (sling block) onto the horn of the davit in order to release the load from the boat fall wire.

Kamsarmax Bulk Carriers

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 Bulk carriers are ships in which cargoes are carried in bulk quantities rather than in barrels, containers, bags etc. and are usually homogeneous and loaded with the help of gravity. A bulk cargo is defined as a "loose" cargo that can be loaded easily and directly into a vessel's cargo holds. These cargoes are usually cargoes of grain, coal, cement, soybeans, iron ore, steel pellets and in some cases fertilizers.
The most predominant types of bulk cargo ships are the handymax and the panamax types. Panamax bulk carriers continue to grow in cargo capacity as the pressure of worldwide competition has forced yards
to build ships that can carry extra extra cargo. Therefore, a special vessel has been built, called "Kamsarmax". This is is the biggest size ship able to load at the world’s largest bauxite port, Port Kamsar in
Equatorial Guinea.
A Kamsarmax type bulk carrier is basically a 82,000 dwt Panamax with an increased LOA = 229 m (for Port Kamsar in Equatorial Guinea).

RANKING OF FLAG STATES

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Ranking of flag states and classification societies: „White list, Grey list, Black list and Performance list"

During many port state control inspections deficiencies of ships are discovered by the specially trained surveyors. Major deficiencies have to be rectified immediately. Occasionally port state control officers even have to detain a ship.
The results of all port state control inspections are collected and evaluated with regard to the performance of flag states and classification societies. Regularly published in form of lists, these „rankings“ reveal to the public whether ships flying a certain flag or classed by a certain classification society are notorious for frequent deficiencies or have a more satisfactory record.

Ranking of flag states

The ranking of flag states is based on the following three different lists:

• The „White list“ contains only flag states of ships which have given , no or little cause for concern.
• The „Grey list“ contains flag states with an average performance.
• The „Black list“ contains flag states of ships which have shown an excessive number of ship safety deficiencies.

Each year these lists are newly established. The ranking is calculated by relating the number of detentions to the number of inspections over the previous three years.

Ranking of classification societies

The ranking of classification societies is determined by the number of deficiencies which have caused detentions of ships and which could have been prevented with a correct survey by the responsible classification society. The ranking of classification societies is published with the annual "RO performance table" (RO = recognized organization) of the Paris MoU.

Implications of rankings

The rankings of a flag state and of a classification society have major implications for the inspection and the targeting of ships subjected to port state control. Ships flying the flag of a „blacklisted“ flag state and/or classed by a low ranking classification society are inspected more frequently and more thoroughly.

ANTI-FOULING PAINT

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 Anti-fouling paint or bottom paint is a specialized coating applied to the hull of a ship or boat to slow the growth of subaquatic organisms that attach to the hull and can affect a vessel's performance and durability. Hull coatings may have other functions in addition to their antifouling properties, such as acting as a barrier against corrosion on metal hulls, or improving the flow of water past the hull of a fishing vessel or high-performance racing yacht.

Tributyltin (TBT) is an umbrella term for a class of organotin compounds which contain the (C₄H₉)₃Sn group, with a prominent example being tributyltin oxide. For 40 years TBT was used as a biocide in anti-fouling paint, commonly known as bottom paint, which was applied to the hulls of ocean going vessles. Bottom paint improves ship performance and durability as it reduces the rate of biofouling, which is the growth of organisms on the ship's hull. Although such paints are effective, the TBT slowly leaches out into the marine environment where it is highly toxic to a wide range of organisms. TBT pollution is of serious concern as it has led to collapse of whole populations of organisms.
TBT compounds are organotin compounds, with 3 butyl groups covalently bonded to a tin(IV) centre. A general formula for these compounds is (n-C₄H₉)₃Sn-X. The X group is typically an electronegative "leaving group" such as chloride or carboxylate.. When introduced into a marine or aquatic environment, TBT adheres to bed sediments because of its high specific gravity and low solubility. However, the adsorption of TBT to sediments is reversible and depends on pH. Studies have shown that 95% of TBT can be released from the sediments back into the aquatic environment. This release makes it difficult to quantify the amount of TBT in an environment, since its concentration in the water is not representative of its availability.


Because TBT is the most effective anti-fouling agent discovered, it was frequently used in anti-fouling paint throughout the globe. It is also relatively inexpensive.
The antifouling properties of TBT compounds were discovered in the 1950s in the Netherlands by van der Kerk and coworkers. The function of the biocide in the anti-fouling paint is to prevent the settling of organisms on the hull and to poison the organisms that do. Although an effective biocide, tributyltin was wrongly deemed safe environmentally. By the mid 1960s it became the most popular anti-fouling paint worldwide. TBT was mixed into paints to extend the life of antifouling coatings, and ships were able to continue operations for a longer time frame. The paints ensured fuel efficiency and delayed costly ship repairs. It is also an ingredient in some disinfectants, for example in combination with quaternary ammonium compounds.








TBT compounds are banned and are included in the Rotterdam Convention and have been banned by the International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships of the International Maritime Organization.
Bans on TBT on boats less than 25 metres long first started in the 1980s. In 1990, the Marine Environment Protection Committee adopted Resolution MEPC 46(30), which recommended that the Government eliminate the use of TBT-containing antifouling paints on smaller vessels. This resolution was intended to be a temporary restriction until the International Maritime Organization could implement a complete ban of TBT anti-fouling agents for ships. Several countries followed with a ban of use, and in 1997 Japan banned the production of TBT-based anti-fouling paints.
The use of organotin compounds acting as biocide in anti-fouling paint was completely banned in 2008 by the International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships of the International Maritime Organization. It states that ships cannot bear organotin compounds on their hulls or external parts or surfaces unless there is a coating that forms a barrier so that organotin compounds cannot leach out. This measure helps reduce exposure by allowing recovery to occur. Despite the ban, TBT will most likely be present in the water column and sediment for up to twenty years because of its long half-life.

Violations of the ban on TBT

Even though banned by some international agencies, TBT anti-fouling paints are still being used in countries with poor regulation enforcement, such as countries in the Caribbean. TBT can remain in the ecosystem for up to 30 years.

Antifouling Convention prohibits the use of underwater antifouling paints containing TBT

On 17 September 2008 the International Convention on the Control of Harmful Antifouling Systems on Ships, 2001 has entered into force globally. This mandatory convention prohibits the use of antifouling paints containing TBT on ships.

All ships of 400 GT and above in international trade must have a TBT free antifouling coating on their hull or must have applied an approved sealer coat. Further details of the hull coating are listed in the supplement of the International AFS certificate or in the AFS declaration.

Ships under 400 GT need only an AFS declaration which can be issued by the ship owner himself based on information provided by the paint manufacturer.

Ban of underwater antifouling paints containing TBT applies in domestic trade, too

The use of underwater antifouling paints containing TBT on ships of 400 GT and above is also prohibited by European law. Other than the International Convention on the Control of Harmful Antifouling Systems on Ships the European regulation (EC) No 782/2003 is also applicable for ships engaged in national trade.

DANGEROUS CHEMICALS IN BULK (IBC)

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IBC code governs the transport of dangerous chemicals

The "International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (IBC code) contains requirements for the carriage of dangerous chemicals and noxious liquid substances in bulk by sea. The IBC code is made mandatory by being referenced in chapter VII, part B of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS convention).

The purpose of the IBC Code is to provide an international standard for the safe carriage, in bulk by sea, of dangerous chemicals and noxious liquid substances. The code prescribes the design, construction and equipment standards of ships, especially of chemical tankers.

List of chemicals provides information on risks during transportation

The IBC code contains a list of all the substances it covers. This list provides information on hazards of these substances and on minimum requirements for ships carrying them.

The objectives of the IBC code must neither be confused with those of MARPOL annex I (oil and oil products) nor with those of the IMDG code (dangerous goods in packaged form).

A chemical tanker is a type of tanker ship designed to transport chemicals in bulk. As defined in MARPOL Annex I, chemical tanker means a ship constructed or adapted for carrying in bulk any liquid product listed in chapter 17 of the International Bulk Chemical Code. As well as industrial chemicals and clean petroleum products, such ships also often carry other types of sensitive cargo which require a high standard of tank cleaning, such as palm oil, vegetable oils, tallow, caustic soda and methanol.
Oceangoing chemical tankers range from 5,000 tonnes deadweight (DWT) to 35,000 DWT in size, which is smaller than the average size of other tanker types due to the specialized nature of their cargo and the size restrictions of the port terminals where they call to load and discharge.
Chemical tankers normally have a series of separate cargo tanks which are either coated with specialized coatings such as phenolic epoxy or zinc paint, or made from stainless steel. The coating or cargo tank material determines what types of cargo a particular tank can carry: stainless steel tanks are required for aggressive acid cargoes such as sulfuric and phosphoric acid, while 'easier' cargoes — such as vegetable oil — can be carried in epoxy coated tanks. The coating or tank material also influences how quickly tanks can be cleaned. Typically, ships with stainless steel tanks can carry a wider range of cargoes and can clean more quickly between one cargo and another, which justifies the additional cost of their construction.

Clasification of Chemical Tankers

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In general, ships carrying chemicals in bulk are classed into three types:
1. A ‘Type 1’ ship is a chemical tanker intended to transport Chapter 17 of the IBC Code products with very severe environmental and safety hazards which require maximum preventive measures to preclude an escape of such cargo.
2. A‘Type 2’ ship is a chemical tanker intended to transport Chapter 17 of the IBC Code products with appreciably severe environmental and safety hazards which require significant preventive measures to preclude an escape of such cargo.
3. A ‘Type 3’ ship is a chemical tanker intended to transport Chapter 17 of the IBC Code products with sufficiently severe environmental and safety hazards which require a moderate degree of containment to increase survival capability in a damaged condition.
Most chemical tankers are IMO 2 and 3 rated, since the volume of IMO 1 cargoes is very limited.

Chemical tankers often have a system for tank heating in order to maintain the viscosity of certain cargoes, typically by passing pressurized steam through stainless steel 'heating coils' in the cargo tanks, transferring heat into the cargo which circulates in the tank by convection. All modern chemical tankers feature double hull construction and most have one pump for each tank with independent piping, which means that each tank can load a separate cargo without any mixing. Tank cleaning after discharging cargo is a very important aspect of chemical tanker operations, because tanks which are not properly cleaned of all cargo residue can adversely affect the purity of the next cargo loaded. Before tanks are cleaned, they must be properly ventilated and checked to be free of potentially explosive gases. Chemical tankers usually have transverse stiffeners on deck rather than inside the cargo tanks, in order to make the tank walls smooth and easier to clean by fitted tank cleaning machines.
Cargo tanks, either empty or filled, are normally protected against explosion by inert gas blankets. Often nitrogen is the inert gas used, supplied either from portable gas bottles or a Nitrogen generator.
Most new chemical tankers are built by shipbuilders in Japan, Korea or China, with other builders in Turkey, Italy, Germany and Poland. Japanese shipbuilders now account for the large majority of stainless steel chemical tankers built, as welding stainless steel to the accuracy required for cargo tank construction is a skill which is difficult to acquire.
Notable major chemical tanker operators including Stolt-Nielsen, Odfjell, Tokyo Marine and Eitzen Chemical. Charterers, the end users of the ships, include oil majors, industrial consumers and specialist chemical companies.