New SOLAS, MARPOL ammendments

A number of amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL)  and the 1988 Load Lines Protocol  entered into force or took effect from 1 January 2014. 

 

The amendments cover passenger ship safety (in relation to safe return to port after a flooding casualty); the testing of free-fall lifeboats; minimum safe manning levels;  prohibition of blending onboard; the revised MARPOL Annex III; the United States Caribbean Sea Emission Control Area; and the Winter Seasonal Zone off the southern tip of Africa.

 

2012 May SOLAS amendments
The SOLAS amendments which entered into force on 1 January 2014 include the following:

 

- amendment to SOLAS regulation II-1/8-1, to introduce a mandatory requirement for new passenger ships for either onboard stability computers or shore-based support, for the purpose of providing operational information to the Master for safe return to port after a flooding casualty;

 

- amendment to SOLAS regulation III/20.11.2 regarding the testing of free-fall lifeboats, to require that the operational testing of free-fall lifeboat release systems shall be performed either by free-fall launch with only the operating crew on board or by a simulated launching;

 

- amendment to SOLAS chapter V to add a new regulation V/14 on ships' manning, to require Administrations, for every ship, to establish appropriate minimum safe manning levels following a transparent procedure, taking into account the guidance adopted by IMO (Assembly resolution A.1047(27) on Principles of minimum safe manning); and issue an appropriate minimum safe manning document or equivalent as evidence of the minimum safe manning considered necessary;

 

- amendment to SOLAS chapter VI to add a new regulation VI/5-2, to prohibit the blending of bulk liquid cargoes during the sea voyage and to prohibit production processes on board ships;

 

- amendment to SOLAS chapter VII to replace regulation 4 on documents, covering transport information relating to the carriage of dangerous goods in packaged form and the container/vehicle packing certificate; and

 

- amendment to SOLAS regulation XI-1/2 on enhanced surveys, to make mandatory the International Code on the Enhanced Programme of Inspections during Surveys of Bulk Carriers and Oil Tankers, 2011 (2011 ESP Code, resolution A.1049(27)).

 

2010 October MARPOL amendments
The amendments which entered into force on 1 January 2014 include a revised MARPOL Annex III Regulations for the prevention of pollution by harmful substances carried by sea in packaged form, to include changes to the Annex to coincide with the next update of the mandatory International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code, specifying that goods should be shipped in accordance with relevant provisions.

 

United States Caribbean ECA now effective 
The United States Caribbean Sea Emission Control Area (SOx, NOx and PM) came into effect, under MARPOL Annex VI, on 1 January 2014, bringing in stricter controls on emissions of sulphur oxide (SOx), nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter for ships trading in certain waters adjacent to the coasts of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.

 

The ECA was designated under MARPOL amendments adopted in July 2011. There are now four three designated ECAs in effect globally: the United States Caribbean Sea ECA and the North American ECA; and the sulphur oxide ECAs in the Baltic Sea area and the North Sea area. 
(See: MARPOL Annex VI regulation 14) 

 

Coordinates for the Caribbean Sea ECA can be found in Resolution MEPC.202(62).

Winter Seasonal Zone moved south under amendments to LL Protocol
Amendments to regulation 47 of the 1988 Protocol to the International Convention on Load Lines (LL), 1966 to shift the Winter Seasonal Zone off the southern tip of Africa further southward by 50 miles, came into effect on 1 January 2014. 

___

IMO – the International Maritime Organization – is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships.

Web site: www.imo.org

Corrosion

1.       Principle of corrosion

2.       Electrolytic Corrosion

3.       Cathodic Protection, Sacrificial Anodes

Corrosion:

Corrosion can be defined as any reaction between a metal and its environment due to which a chemical reaction takes place and metal returns to its original form of metal oxide.

Factors that causes corrosion are moisture in air, acids, salts and temperature

Principle of Corrosion

Principle are listed as

1.       During the corrosion process polarization occurs. Polarization is the formation of protective oxide film which prevent further corrosion

2.       Ferrous metals such as iron and steel when exposed to air will resist corrosion if kept dry but when in a moist or humid atmosphere the corrosion rates become rapid. If these metals are immersed in fresh water having no dissolved oxygen present in water corrosion will be active.

3.       Corrosion can be taken place under different electrical potential (voltage) when immersed in  fresh water and forming part of complete circuit.

4.       Corrosion due to acid takes place due to the formation of sulphuric acid. Vapours and water vapours in the funnel gases if the temperature is droped to new their dew point.

5.       Corrosion is the results of two actions and corrosion thus takes place is called electrochemical.

a.       Electrical

b.      Chemical

6.       The surfaces of metal forming corrosion forming cell are known as anode (corrosion area) and protected surfaces as cathode. Protection area is established by a layer of hydrogen atoms on its surface.

7.       If the water contains dissolved CO₂ gas corrosion is step up which will be continuous if O2 is present in the water the corrosion will not only be continuous but due to the regeneration of CO2 gas it will be out of all proportions to the intial contents of CO2.

Cathodic Protection

Sea water is circulated, heated and stored on ship for various purposes. It is strongly corrosive medium because it is good electrolyte. If dissimilar metals are in sea water, galvanic action results and the more anodic metal corrodes.

The metal which has lower potential becomes anode while the other with high potential becomes the cathode. Steel is anodic to bronze in sea water. Therefore it will corrodes in other word we may say that steel has given cathodic proctection.

Sacrificial Anodes

Sacrificial anodes are used to give cathodic protection to more expensive metals eg Iron anodes (Iron small plates) give protection to the brass tube and plates in condenser, magnesium, aluminium or zinc anodes gives protection to steel plates in tank and ship steel hull. Following is the table from the galvanic series of materials. In sea water any material in the table is anodic to those above it.

Titanium

Monel Metal

Stainless steel

Nickel

Gun Metal

Bronze

Copper

Brass

Cast Iron

Mild Steel

Zinc

Aluminum

Magnesium                        Base end of table

The metal with high potential generally know as metal with good resistance and called nobel metal. Metal with low negative potential are called metal.

Electrolytic Corrosion

When the different metals of potential are joined togather in an electrolyte such as sea water, an electrical current flow between them due to the potential difference (Voltage) present. Each metal has certain electrical potential which is determined by their individuals atomic structure. An atom is electrically neutral. If an atom will loose or gain electron know as Ion and becomes electrically unbalanced and due to this action electrical current flow in the circuit.

When two dissimilar metal are in contact, the on which has lower potential becomes anode while the metal with high potential becomes the cathode. Thus if these two metals are in contact in the presense of water (Electrolyte) a corrosion cell is established. The metal (with low potential) will remain protected.