6.1 Oil discharge monitoring and control system
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Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Resolutions - Marine Environment Protection Committee - Resolution MEPC.108(49) - Revised Guidelines and Specifications for Oil Discharge Monitoring and Control Systems for Oil Tankers - (Adopted on 18 July 2003)Amended by Resolution MEPC.240(65) - Annex - Revised Guidelines and Specifications for Oil Discharge Monitoring and Control Systems for Oil Tankers - 6 Technical Specifications - 6.1 Oil discharge monitoring and control system

6.1 Oil discharge monitoring and control system

  6.1.1 The monitoring system should be capable of effectively monitoring and controlling the discharge of any effluent into the sea through those overboard discharge outlets permitted by regulation 30 which, in the opinion of the Administration, are necessary to fulfil the operational requirements of the oil tanker.

  6.1.2 The discharge of dirty ballast water or other oil-contaminated water from the cargo tank areas into the sea through outlets which are not controlled by the monitoring system is an infringement of the Convention.

  6.1.3 The monitoring system should function effectively under all environmental conditions which oil tankers are normally assumed to encounter, and should be designed and constructed to satisfy the specifications for environmental testing specified in part 2 of the annex to these Guidelines and Specifications. Moreover,

  • .1 the system should be so designed that no discharge of dirty ballast or other oil-contaminated water from the cargo tank areas can take place unless the monitoring system is in the normal operating mode and the relevant sampling point has been selected;

  • .2 preferably the system should sample the effluent discharge from a minimum number of discharge outlets and be so arranged that discharge overboard can take place via only one outlet at a time;

  • .3 where it is intended that more than one line be used for simultaneous discharging purposes, one oil content meter, together with a flow meter, should be installed in each discharge line. These instruments should be connected to a common processor; and

  • .4 in order to avoid alarms due to short-term high oil concentration signals (spikes) causing indications of high instantaneous rates of discharge, the short-term high ppm signal may be suppressed for a maximum of 10 s. Alternatively, the instantaneous rate of discharge may be continuously averaged during the preceding 20 s or less as computed from instantaneous ppm values of the oil content meter readings received at intervals not exceeding 5 s.

  6.1.4 The monitoring system should comprise:

  • .1 an oil content meter to measure the oil content of the effluent in ppm. The meter should be approved in accordance with the provisions contained in the annex to these Guidelines and Specifications and be certified to take into account the range of cargoes carried;

  • .2 a flow rate indicating system to measure the rate of effluent being discharged into the sea;

  • .3 a ship speed indicating device to give the ship's speed in knots;

  • .4 a ship position indicating device to give the ship's position - latitude and longitude;

  • .5 a sampling system to convey a representative sample of the effluent to the oil content meter;

  • .6 an overboard discharge control to stop the overboard discharge;

  • .7 a starting interlock to prevent the discharge overboard of any effluent unless the monitoring system is fully operational; and

  • .8 a control section comprising:

    • .8.1 a processor, which accepts signals of oil content in the effluent, the effluent flow rate and the ship's speed and computes these values into litres of oil discharged per nautical mile and the total quantity of oil discharged;

    • .8.2 means to provide alarms and command signals to the overboard discharge control;

    • .8.3 a recording device to provide a record of data in accordance with paragraph 6.9.2;

    • .8.4 a data display to exhibit the current operational data in accordance with paragraph 6.10;

    • .8.5 a manual override system to be used in the event of failure of the monitoring system; and

    • .8.6 means to provide signals to the starting interlock to prevent the discharge of any effluent before the monitoring system is fully operational.

  6.1.5 Each main component of the oil content monitoring system should be fitted with a name-plate, properly identifying the component by assembly drawing number, type or model number and serial number, as appropriate.

  6.1.6 If installed in a hazardous area, the electrical components of the monitoring system should meet the appropriate safety requirementsfootnote laid down for these areas.


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