Hello guys! So we meet again today. For this entry, I want to share with you about a topic related to maritime field, it is about the Global Maritime Regulatory System. This topic is quite important especially for the seafarers where it covered almost everything the importance and benefits for the seafarers including their safety and all the regulation.
 |
| source: google images |
As we all aware that shipping is a global business which deals with 80% of the world cargo transportation, to protect it or to provide safe accesses, we have to develop international regulations that should be followed by all shipping nations. To provide and promote maritime safety effectively, in 1948 an international conference in Geneva adopted a convention IMCO (Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation) and in 1982 the name of IMCO changed to IMO (International Maritime Organisation). The IMO convention entered in force in 1958. Before this, the first international treaty of any kind between the nations was the treaty of Safety Of Life At Sea (SOLAS) which was held in 1914 in response to the sinking of RMS Titanic
 |
| source; google images |
To set and promote the highest standards of health, safety and environment protection IMO adopted four pillars in its structure.
*SOLAS (Safety of life at sea)
*STCW ( Standards of training, certification, and watchkeeping)
*MARPOL (Marine pollution)
*MLC (Maritime labor convention)
Let’s discuss these four pillars in brief and its importance
1) Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)
 |
| source; google images |
To achieve the above purpose IMO’s performs its first task in 1960 by adopting a new version of SOLAS (safety of life at sea). And it was one of the most important steps by IMO among all treaties dealing with maritime safety. By adopting the new version of SOLAS IMO focused on some important matters as the facilitation of international marine traffic, load lines and the carriage of dangerous good and the system of measuring the tonnage of a ship was revised.
 |
| source; google images |
Basically, SOLAS deals with the safety of life of seafarers in the sea by setting minimum standards for machinery and types of equipment. To cover all these there are 14 chapters consisting of different codes and regulations.
Let me clear that how SOLAS is protecting lives life. Just think if there are no regulations or minimum standards for machinery and types of equipment then owners of ships may supply cheap and bad quality equipment or fewer numbers of types of equipment and machinery. Then the failure of that will cause us problem while we are at sea. Then seafarers are going to suffer and may cause the loss of life.
2) International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW)
 |
| source; google images |
To achieve this STCW having VIII chapters and same is amended as STCW95, and again as STCW2010 in Manila amendments.
3) International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL)
 |
| source; google images |
While IMO dealing with maritime safety, a new problem began in shipping that emerged of sea pollution. During these days amount of oil transported by sea increases, the size of ships increases that all leads an accident known as the Torrey Canyon disaster of 1967. The supertanker SS Torrey Canyon ran aground on a reef off the South- West coast of the United Kingdom in which 120,000 tonnes of oil was spilled, this was one of the world’s most serious oil spills. After this accident IMO gives its ambitious focus to work on marine pollution prevention and response.
 |
| source; google images |
After working a few years IMO introduced a series of measures designed to prevent tanker accidents and to minimize their consequences. IMO introduced most important measures i.e. International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 (MARPOL 73/78), along with oil pollution prevention its also covers prevention of pollution by chemical, goods in packaged form, sewage, garbage and air pollution. This MARPOL 73/78 covers total 6 annexes-
*Annex I – Prevention of oil pollution by ships, adopted on 2nd October 1983
*Annex II – Control of pollution by noxious liquid substances in bulk, adopted on 6 April 1987
*Annex III – Prevention of pollution by harmful substances carried by sea in packaged form, adopted on 1st July 1992
*Annex IV – Prevention of pollution by sewage from ships, adopted on 27 September 2003
*Annex V – Prevention of pollution by garbage from ships, adopted on 31 December 1988
*Annex VI – Prevention of air pollution from ships, adopted in 19 may 2005
 |
| source; google images |
Today, the expanded, amended and updated MARPOL Convention remains the most important, as well as most comprehensive, international treaty covering the prevention of pollution at sea. Due to the ecology and sea traffic, some areas are mentioned as a special area in MARPOL. The special areas are having some addition rule and regulation for discharging of oily water.
4) Maritime Labour Convention (MLC)
 |
| source; google images |
In 2006, The International of Maritime Organization brought its fourth and important pillar as MLC (Maritime labor Convention). On August 20th, 2013, it comes into force. It is an international agreement of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which sets seafarer’s rights to a decent condition of work, in other words, it is also called seafarers Bill of Right. On July 2017, a total of 84 countries had accepted the MLC 2006.
To set these rights there are five titles are described-
1)Minimum requirements for seafarers to work on a ship
2)Conditions of employment
3)Accommodation, recreation, food, and catering
4)Health protection, medical care, welfare and social security protection
5)Compliance and enforcement.
What should be the
*Minimum age,
*Wages
*Accommodation and recreational facility
*Food
*Hours of work and rest
*Medical care
*Social security
*Owners liability
*Onboard compliance procedure
And more are defined and rules are sets in above titles of MLC.
No comments:
Post a Comment