2 Essential Provisions of Shipboard Emergency Plan for Ships Carrying Materials Subject to the INF Code
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Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Resolutions - Assembly - IMO Resolution A.854(20) – Guidelines for Developing Shipboard Emergency Plans for Ships Carrying Materials Subject to the INF Code – (Adopted on 27 November 1997) - Annex – Guidelines for Developing Shipboard Emergency Plans for Ships Carrying Materials Subject to the INF Code - 2 Essential Provisions of Shipboard Emergency Plan for Ships Carrying Materials Subject to the INF Code

2 Essential Provisions of Shipboard Emergency Plan for Ships Carrying Materials Subject to the INF Code

  2.1 In accordance with paragraph 27 of the Code, the Plan at a minimum should contain:

  • .1 the procedure to be followed by the master or other persons having charge of the ship in reporting an incident involving INF Code materials, as required by paragraph 29;

  • .2 the list of authorities or persons to be contacted in the event of an incident involving INF Code materials;

  • .3 a detailed description of the action to be taken immediately by persons on board to prevent, reduce or control the release, and mitigate the consequences of the loss, of INF Code materials following the incident; and

  • .4 the procedures and point of contact on the ship for co-ordinating shipboard action with national and local authorities.

  2.2 The Plan should provide specific information regarding the ship, including:

  • .1 the ship name, country of registry, call sign, and IMO identification number, if applicable;

  • .2 the name, address, and procedures for contacting the consignor, consignee, shipper, shipowner or operator on a 24-hour basis; and

  • .3 identification of communication equipment on board.

  The coastal State report

  2.3 Paragraphs 29 and 30 of the INF Code provide that the nearest coastal State should be notified of an actual or probable release. The intent of this provision is to ensure that coastal States are informed without delay of any incident giving rise to pollution, or threat of pollution, of the marine environment, or in the event of damage, failure or breakdown of a ship carrying INF Code materials, so that appropriate action may be taken.

  2.4 When required. The Plan should provide clear, concise guidance to enable the master to determine when a report to the coastal State is required.

  2.5 Actual release. A report to the nearest coastal State is required whenever there is any release of INF Code materials. A report should also be made in the event of damage, failure, or breakdown of a ship carrying INF Code materials which affects the safety of the ship, including allision, collision, grounding, fire, explosion, structural failure, flooding, and cargo shifting; and results in the impairment of the safety of navigation, including the failure or breakdown of steering gear, propulsion system, electrical generating system and essential shipborne navigational aids.

  2.6 Probable release. The Plan should give the master guidance in evaluating a situation which, though not involving an actual release, would present a risk of a release and thus require a report. In judging whether there is such a risk and whether a report should be made, the following factors, as a minimum, should be taken into account:

  • .1 the nature of the damage, failure or breakdown of the ship, machinery, equipment or the loss of cargo container integrity;

  • .2 ship location and proximity to land or other navigational hazards;

  • .3 weather, tide, current, and sea state; and

  • .4 traffic density.

  2.7 It is impracticable to lay down precise definitions of all types of situations involving risks which would warrant an obligation to report. As a general guideline, the master should make a report in cases of:

  • .1 damage, failure, or breakdown which affects the safety of the ship, such as allision, collision, grounding, fire, explosion, structural failure, flooding, or cargo shifting;

  • .2 failure or breakdown of machinery or equipment which results in impairment of safety of navigation, such as failure or breakdown of steering gear, propulsion, electrical generating system, and essential shipboard navigational aids; and

  • .3 loss of cargo container integrity that may involve a release or probable release of INF Code materials.

  2.8 Information required. The Plan shall specify, in appropriate detail, the procedure for making the initial report to the coastal State. The Organization’s Guidelines on Reporting in resolution A.648(16) provide necessary detail for the Plan writer. The Plan should include a prepared message form, an example of which is included in appendix III to these Guidelines. Coastal States are encouraged to take note of the information in this appendix and accept it as sufficient information. Supplementary or follow-up reports should as far as possible use the same format.

  2.9 The initial reporting by on-board personnel should include answers to the following questions:

  • .1 Are there any injuries on board;

  • .2 Is there (or was there) a fire near the INF Code materials;

  • .3 What kind of radiological or chemical hazards exist; and

  • .4 What are the meteorological conditions, including wind direction?

  List of persons, agencies and organizations to be contacted

  2.10 The ship involved in an incident involving INF Code material will have to communicate with both coastal State or port contacts and ship interest contacts. The Plan should include descriptions of the primary and secondary communications methods by which notifications will be made.

  2.11 When compiling such contact lists, due account should be taken of the need to provide 24-hour contact information and to provide alternatives to the designated contact. These details should be routinely updated to take account of personnel changes and changes to telephone, fax, e-mail and telex numbers. Clear guidance should also be provided regarding the preferred means of communication (telephone, fax, e-mail, telex, etc.).

  Coastal State contacts

  2.12 In order to expedite response and minimize damage from an incident involving INF Code material, it is essential that the nearest coastal States be notified without delay.

  2.13 The Plan should include as an appendix the list of agencies or officials of Administrations responsible for receiving and processing reports of incidents involving INF Code materials. In the absence of a listed focal point, or should any undue delay be experienced in contacting the responsible authority by direct means, the master should be advised to contact the nearest rescue co-ordination centre, coastal radio station, or designated ship movement reporting station by the quickest available means to accomplish the report. See IMO list of National Operational Contact Points.

  Port contacts

  2.14 For ships in port, notification of local agencies will speed response. Information on regularly visited ports should be included as an appendix to the Plan. Where this is not feasible, the Plan should require the master to obtain details concerning local reporting procedures upon arriving in port.

  Ship interest contacts

  2.15 The Plan should provide details of all parties with an interest in the ship to be advised in the event of an incident. This information should be compiled in the form of a contact list. When compiling such lists, it should be remembered that, in the event of a serious incident, ship’s personnel may be fully engaged in saving life and taking steps to control and minimize the effects of the incident. They should therefore not be hampered by having onerous communications requirements imposed on them.

  2.16 Procedures will vary between companies but it is important that the Plan clearly specifies who will be responsible for informing the various interested parties such as cargo owners, insurers and salvage interests. It is also essential that both the ship’s Plan and its company’s shore-side Plan are co-ordinated to guarantee that all parties having an interest are advised and that duplication of reports is avoided.

  2.17 In addition to any radiological expertise of the crew, radiological monitoring and assessment may be delivered by specialized monitoring teams. The Plan should identify points of contact for such teams on a 24-hour basis so that they can be notified expeditiously when their assistance is required.

  Shipboard emergency procedures

  2.18 Ship personnel will almost always be in the best position to take quick action to prevent, reduce, or control the release of INF Code material from their ship. The Plan should provide the master with clear guidance on how to accomplish such action for a variety of situations. The Plan should identify situations where standard operating procedures or detailed guidance will ensure that the emergency response is prompt, co-ordinated and efficient. The Plan should not only outline action to be taken, but should also identify who on board is responsible as well as the tasks of various crew members, so that confusion during the emergency can be avoided.

  2.19 This section of the Plan will vary widely from ship to ship. Differences in ship size, construction, equipment, manning, and even route may result in shifting emphasis being placed on various aspects of this section. As a minimum, the Plan should provide the master with guidance to address emergencies affecting the safe operation of the ship and procedures to counter actual or potential emergencies involving INF Code materials, including:

  • .1 Procedures for safe removal from the ship of INF Code materials or packages that may have been damaged during loading or unloading.

  • .2 Various checklists or other means which will ensure that the master considers all appropriate factors when addressing the specific incident. The following are examples of casualties which should be considered:

  • .2.1 grounding or stranding;

  • .2.2 fire/explosion;

  • .2.3 collision;

  • .2.4 hull failure, serious structural failure, flooding, and/or heavy weather damage, or icing;

  • .2.5 excessive list;

  • .2.6 equipment failure (e.g., main propulsion, steering gear, etc.);

  • .2.7 containment system failure (e.g., release of INF Code, cargo contamination yielding a hazardous condition, or loss of cargo)

  • .2.8 security threats;

  • .2.9 submerged or foundered; and

  • .2.10 wrecked.

  Procedures for the crew to prevent, reduce, or control a release of INF Code material

  2.20 Loss or damage to the ship may result in the loss of cargo packages. However, for cargo incidents not resulting from a ship incident, a suspected cargo leak which is detected in time and handled properly will not necessarily constitute an imminent threat to the crew or the safe operation of the vessel. However, procedures for dealing with the following incidents should be developed and practised:

  • .1 abnormal radiation levels detected by remote monitoring instruments;

  • .2 discovery of abnormal loose contamination on clothing, shoes or in spaces outside of the cargo hold;

  • .3 flask coolant loss or leak;

  • .4 movement or shifting of a flask from its transport position;

  • .5 unexpected temperature rise at the flask surface; and

  • .6 dropping a flask during loading or unloading.

  2.21 In addition to the checklists and personnel duty assignments, the Plan should provide the master with guidance concerning priority actions, stability and stress considerations, and cargo transfer.

  Priority actions

  2.22 This section outlines some general considerations that apply to a wide range of casualties. The Plan should provide ship-specific guidance to the master concerning these considerations.

  • .1 In responding to an incident, the master’s priority will be to ensure the safety of personnel and the ship and to take action to prevent escalation of the incident. In casualties involving a release of INF Code materials, immediate consideration should be given to measures aimed at preventing contamination of personnel, such as altering course so that the ship is upwind of the released or lost cargo, shutting down non-essential air intakes, using protective clothing, etc. When it is possible to manoeuvre, the master, in conjunction with the appropriate shore authorities, may consider moving the ship to a more suitable location to facilitate emergency repair work, cargo transfer operations, or to reduce the threat posed to any particularly sensitive ocean or shoreline areas. Such manoeuvring should be co-ordinated with the coastal State.

  • .2 Prior to considering remedial action, the master will need to obtain detailed information on the damage sustained by the ship and INF Code material containers. A visual inspection should be carried out when it is safe to do so. An adequate number of trained crew members should be on board to assess the situation by means of standard equipment and radiological assessment procedures which will enable proper decisions to be made as to what further action is necessary. In certain cases, radiological monitoring and assessment teams may be required to assess properly any consequences of an incident involving the release of INF Code materials. The initial assessment should include consideration of three basic issues:

  • .2.1 confirming the quantity and type of INF Code materials involved;

  • .2.2 ascertaining whether the integrity of shipping containers or packages has been breached; and

  • .2.3 assessing, by monitoring with appropriate instrumentation, the radiological hazards that exist, if any.

  • .3 On the basis of the results of the initial measurements, the master should assess the need for radiological experts to provide advice. The measurement information should be recorded on a map or sketch of the area of the incident to document the measurement results.

  • .4 Having assessed the damage sustained, the master will be in a position to decide what action should be taken to prevent or minimize a further or more serious release, and a sufficient number of adequately trained crew members should be on board to assist in such action. Where appropriate, the Plan should provide a list of information required for making damage stability and damaged longitudinal strength assessments.

  • .5 Ships’ crew as well as fire-fighting and radiological monitoring teams may require protective clothing and respiratory protection equipment. Equipment should be pre-selected to protect against radioactive contamination and inhalation of airborne radioactive material.

  Cargo transfer

  2.23 For those INF Code materials where cargo transfer is practicable, the Plan should provide guidance on the procedures to be followed for ship-to-ship transfer of cargo. Reference may be made in the Plan to existing company guides. A copy of such company procedures for ship-to-ship transfer operations should be kept with the Plan. The Plan should address the need for co-ordinating this activity with the coastal State, as such operation may be subject to its jurisdiction.

  Mitigation activities

  2.24 When the safety of both the ship and personnel has been addressed, the master can initiate mitigating activities according to the guidance given by the Plan. The Plan should address such as aspects as:

  • .1 physical, chemical and radiological properties of the INF Code materials involved;

  • .2 containment and other response techniques;

  • .3 isolation procedures;

  • .4 decontamination of personnel; and

  • .5 safe storage of any contaminated materials.

  2.25 In order to have the necessary information available to respond to the situations referred to in 2.19 and 2.20, certain plans, drawings, and ship-specific details, such as a layout of a general arrangement plan, should be available on board. The Plan should show where current cargo, bunker, and ballast information – including quantities and specifications – are available.

  Security

  2.26 Ships may be subject to bomb threats, sabotage, and unauthorized visitors. If not handled properly, these incidents can pose a hazard to the safe operation of the ship. Standard procedures will also prevent over-reaction on the part of the crew which could lead to personnel injury. Procedures should be developed for:

  • .1 bomb threats and resulting search;

  • .2 search of visitors, luggage, vehicles, and freight during times of heightened threats; and

  • .3 gangway procedures, including action in the event of unauthorized boarders.

  National and local co-ordination

  2.27 Quick, efficient co-ordination between the ship and coastal State or other involved parties becomes vital in mitigating the effects of an incident involving INF Code materials. The Plan should address the need, where appropriate, to contact the coastal State for consultation and/or authorization regarding mitigating actions. See also 1.15 above.

  2.2 The identities and roles of various national and local authorities involved vary widely from State to State and from port to port. Approaches to responsibility for release response also vary. Some coastal States have agencies that take charge of response immediately and subsequently bill the owner for the cost. In other coastal States, responsibility for initiating response is placed on the shipowner.

Parent topic: Annex – Guidelines for Developing Shipboard Emergency Plans for Ships Carrying Materials Subject to the INF Code
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