This post is for owners that are interested in getting Vessels with Chemical notations built in various Shipyards.
Unfortunately, during a ship-building contract being placed, most of the owners do not pay attention to HSE and Operational requirements for all vessels. Lloyds and Nautical Institute through their publication "Alert" have taken that step to bridge that gap in one of the editions. But, am not sure how many owners really subscribe to this.
I would suggest firstly, to have a look at this publication at the following link:
http://www.he-alert.org/
Issue 24 amongst all, highlights the most in this respect. My aim is not to cover the topics, since it is available readily to users of the net.
My aim is highighting operational problem.
Considering that the ship-owner needs a vessel with Chemical Notation, but is not interested in putting money into Framo or other individual submerged pumps, one for each tank. Instead he goes for a cargo pumproom vessel, with Screw pumps (mostly prevalent on Chemical Tankers), or such other pumps.
In such cases, the drainage arrangements, that are normally possible on Chemical tankers with individual deep-well pumps are practically not possible to attain.
2ndly, shipyards neglect the fact that the vessel would be carrying Chemicals. Therefore, in lots of places gaskets, seals etc. used are not teflon or chemical resistant types but simple oil resistant types.
3rdly, no one understands that during the stripping test, as required under MARPOL Annex II, the shipyard fulfills that requirement by using a stripping pump, and the Class accepts it. Now assume, the vessel has three natural segregations for cargo carriage. But one stripping pump. Operations personnel would find this easy to understand. 3 different grades of chemicals being carried cannot be stripped using a single stripping pump. Shipyard does the stripping test, fine, but that is with Water, a homogeneously taken liquid in all cargo tanks.
When the P&A manual is made, it would require that vessel should use Stripping pump to achieve the stripping result quantity. But it is not possible to do so, with multiple grades. Then what do you write in your Cargo Record Books? Has the cargo been discharged as per P&A manual? If you write "No", you have to get that result. If you write "Yes", you are bound to be tensed. Do you think, I'm right in calling a MARPOL violation? So you keep paying fines.
It is really very important for the Marine industry to understand that Operational problems are not really known to all, especially to the Class that certifies it - he is not a chemical tanker man, the builder that builds it - he probably has never sailed, a supervising Engineer - oh he has never ventured as much into MARPOL Annex II, least considered this problem.
As they say, everyone else will make the money eventually, other then the owner. You'll have crew - Masters and Mates refusing to sail on these vessels due to this problem, will require frequent crew change. Who pays?
If caught, who pays?
It is very important to have a operations / deck officer, experienced with that trade and the rules, to be able to clear these problems, that would nag all through the life of vessel.
I have a lot more to list in this respect, but then we want cheap vessels, right?
Unfortunately, during a ship-building contract being placed, most of the owners do not pay attention to HSE and Operational requirements for all vessels. Lloyds and Nautical Institute through their publication "Alert" have taken that step to bridge that gap in one of the editions. But, am not sure how many owners really subscribe to this.
I would suggest firstly, to have a look at this publication at the following link:
http://www.he-alert.org/
Issue 24 amongst all, highlights the most in this respect. My aim is not to cover the topics, since it is available readily to users of the net.
My aim is highighting operational problem.
Considering that the ship-owner needs a vessel with Chemical Notation, but is not interested in putting money into Framo or other individual submerged pumps, one for each tank. Instead he goes for a cargo pumproom vessel, with Screw pumps (mostly prevalent on Chemical Tankers), or such other pumps.
In such cases, the drainage arrangements, that are normally possible on Chemical tankers with individual deep-well pumps are practically not possible to attain.
2ndly, shipyards neglect the fact that the vessel would be carrying Chemicals. Therefore, in lots of places gaskets, seals etc. used are not teflon or chemical resistant types but simple oil resistant types.
3rdly, no one understands that during the stripping test, as required under MARPOL Annex II, the shipyard fulfills that requirement by using a stripping pump, and the Class accepts it. Now assume, the vessel has three natural segregations for cargo carriage. But one stripping pump. Operations personnel would find this easy to understand. 3 different grades of chemicals being carried cannot be stripped using a single stripping pump. Shipyard does the stripping test, fine, but that is with Water, a homogeneously taken liquid in all cargo tanks.
When the P&A manual is made, it would require that vessel should use Stripping pump to achieve the stripping result quantity. But it is not possible to do so, with multiple grades. Then what do you write in your Cargo Record Books? Has the cargo been discharged as per P&A manual? If you write "No", you have to get that result. If you write "Yes", you are bound to be tensed. Do you think, I'm right in calling a MARPOL violation? So you keep paying fines.
It is really very important for the Marine industry to understand that Operational problems are not really known to all, especially to the Class that certifies it - he is not a chemical tanker man, the builder that builds it - he probably has never sailed, a supervising Engineer - oh he has never ventured as much into MARPOL Annex II, least considered this problem.
As they say, everyone else will make the money eventually, other then the owner. You'll have crew - Masters and Mates refusing to sail on these vessels due to this problem, will require frequent crew change. Who pays?
If caught, who pays?
It is very important to have a operations / deck officer, experienced with that trade and the rules, to be able to clear these problems, that would nag all through the life of vessel.
I have a lot more to list in this respect, but then we want cheap vessels, right?
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