The IMO convention requires vessels to clean their ballast water to prevent the transfer of micro-organisms from one ocean to another via ballast water which is hazardous for local maritime eco-systems. On 22 June in Ridderkerk and 23 June in Assen - both in the Netherlands - DESMI will host a seminar on the forthcoming requirements for ballast water treatment. (more…)

McMurdo, a company of the Orolia Group announces the introduction of its first AIS SART (Automatic Identification System Search And Rescue Transmitter) to its range of safety products. The Smartfind S5 AIS SART further enhances the Smartfind range of beacons from McMurdo Ltd, a leading manufacturer of emergency distress beacons. (more…)

Between 1 September and 30 November 2009 a Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on lifeboat launching arrangements was conducted jointly by the Paris MoU and the Tokyo MoU. The 27 member authorities of the Paris MoU carried out 5,749 inspections. In eighty cases the lifeboat launching appliances had deficiencies which were serious enough to detain the ship. (more…)

How can shipyards and supplier address the challenges arising from the new International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships after its development has been finalized by the IMO? More than 40 engineers and technicians from suppliers and shipyards across China attended the Germanischer Lloyd (GL) training course Ship Recycling for Shipyards and Suppliers. (more…)

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has granted the Final Approval of Active Substances to RWO’s ballast water treatment system CleanBallast and thereby noted that the CleanBallast system is safe for the crew, ship and environment. This final approval is one of four major steps necessary for obtaining the full type approval certificate for ballast water treatment systems. As a first step, RWO - part of Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies - received the basic approval of active substances from the IMO in October 2006 and subsequently finalised the land-based type approval of CleanBallast in 2007. (more…)

This summer, Uni-Safe Electronics A/S will introduce the Bridge Navigational Watch Alarm System BW-800. The product is currently being tested for IMO approval. The purpose of the BW-800 is to ensure continuous monitoring of the bridge operator’s fitness during ‘one man bridge’ operations. New regulations from IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) will require a person to carry a Bridge Navigational Watch Alarm System (BNWAS) complying with IMO performance standards. (more…)

The change in IMO regulations that came into force in 2006 caused a spike in the sales of immersion suits, and as a result these new suits are now due for their first service. Wilhelmsen Ships Service has prepared accordingly and now offers one of the most comprehensive immersion suit servicing operations available via its global network of over 50 locations capable of offering immersion suit service. The network provides a range of fast and efficient service options that help minimize time spent in port for vessels of all types. (more…)

Det Norske Veritas (DNV) has just IMO-approved the biological sewage treatment plant from Gertsen & Olufsen (G&O), a leading Scandinavian developer of sewage treatment systems targeted for ships and offshore use. The revised guidelines on treatment of black water, IMO MECP 159(55) Resolution, come into effect on 1 January 2010. As the resolution entails new and significantly stricter standards, it represents a massive challenge to shipbuilders and designers. The guidelines apply to sewage treatment plants on ships of 400 GRT and above as well as on smaller ships certified to carry a crew of more than 15.

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