Image resource: IUMI/Wikimedia Commons
This year has actually currently seen a disconcerting variety of containership fires consisting of Yantian Express, APL Vancouver, Grande America, E.R. Kobe and also KMTC Hong Kong. The acceleration is of expanding problem to IUMI (International Union of Marine Insurance) which made use of a current online forum to ask for an immediate renovation to onboard firefighting systems.
At a meeting in Arendal, Norway, arranged by aquatic insurance firm and also P&I Club, Gard, and also gone to by IMO, flag states, shipowners, salvors, course, and also insurance firms, IUMI reinforced its placement on the concern.
“Fire-fighting capabilities onboard containerships are deficient and we need to see more headway to improve the safety of the crew, the environment, the cargo and the ships themselves,” claimed Helle Hammer, Chair of IUMI’sPolicy Forum “Mis- and non-declaration of cargo has serious safety implications and is the root cause behind these tragic incidents. There is agreement among experts that the current means of controlling a fire in the cargo hold are of little effect. The safety objectives set out in SOLAS do not seem to be met, and in light of the various recent casualties the time for action is now.”
During the IMO’s 101st Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) conference in June 2019, IUMI elevated its problems and also got assistance from different quarters, consisting of IACS (International Association of Classification Societies). Now, in collaboration with the German flag state, IUMI is requiring extra assistance from flag managements and also various other stakeholders to bring this concern to IMO’s program in 2020.
In 2017 IUMI released a manifesto to increase a selection of problems consisting of poor fire discovery and also onboard firefighting systems both on deck and also under deck; and also the requirement to change SOLAS. This manifesto will certainly offer the structure for the IMO proposition.
FIRE AREAS
“Our position paper recommends that firefighting systems should be arranged to segregate the ship into fire compartments where the fire can be isolated to prevent it from spreading,” claimsHammer “Onboard systems could then cool the containers and allow them to burn out in a controlled manner. Fixed monitors to adequately attack the fire and improved fire detection system are further measures proposed to allow for an appropriate response mechanism. Better prevention measures must also address the concerning rise in cargo misdeclaration. We are encouraged to see larger carriers already beginning to crack down on this problem.”
“The sad reality is that we can no longer sit idle,” he includes. “Containerships are increasing in size and complexity and this will only exacerbate the problem.”
IUMI is requiring all stakeholders to collaborate and also motivate IMO to:
- enhance fire security in the freight location of container vessels;
- modify SOLAS by clearly consisting of energetic and/or easy fire security aboard brand-new container vessels;
- take into consideration the requirement to resolve the firefighting devices of existing container vessels.”
The complete manifesto is readily available from IUMI’s site HERE.
