Ro-Ro security is a essential difficulty, which was mentioned by marine business professionals at a Ro-Ro Safety Seminar held in Rome final month.

Ro-Ro security turned a scorching subject following the excessive degree of casualties ensuing from latest incidents. Case research, offered on the seminar, fostered by RINA Services, Interferry and Norwegian Hull Club, resulted in immediate dialogue targeted on the teachings that may be drawn from these disasters.

Construction, design standards, operation and upkeep, manning and constitution agreements, all got here below scrutiny, all been contributing elements in accidents which have occurred on board Ro-Ro ships.

The outcomes of casualty investigations into latest incidents on Italian Cruise Ships was highlighted in a presentation from Fabio Croccolo, Directorate General for Railway and Marine Investigations’ (DIGIFEMA), a part of the Italian Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport.

According to analysis offered by Ole Jorgen Eikanger from the Norwegian Hull Club, fires and explosions have compromised Ro-Ro security. Car/Ro-Ro ferries have seen a big improve in fireplace/explosion claims lately. Between 2011 and 2012, automotive/Ro-Ro vessels, made 0.9% of all fireplace/explosion claims, the best declare by a vessel kind. This sharply elevated between 2013 and 2014, with automotive/Ro-Ro vessels making 1.5% of all fireplace/explosion claims.

Operational finest follow pointers for open Ro-Ro deck fireplace security have been highlighted by Darren Johnston from Interferry. He emphasised the significance of the human issue: having educated and competent personnel, with the suitable technical information and abilities that permit them to react rapidly and professionally in a aggravating atmosphere is invaluable to an organization, and considerably reduces danger ought to an incident happen.

Andrea Cogliolo, head of innovation, marine at RINA Services, made a presentation on an important difficulty for the marine business, asset integrity administration; a problem straight affected Ro-Ro security. His emphasize was on the significance of recent guidelines for asset integrity administration as a path to accident prevention. These guidelines be certain that the right steadiness between explosion prevention necessities and fireplace detection and extinction necessities is met.

“New technologies in vehicles also directly impact Ro-Ro safety. As technology evolves and innovative new ways of powering vehicles are developed, the marine industry needs to be aware of potential dangers from new types of cargo on board Ro-Ro vessels, including hybrid and electric cars and LNG-fuelled trucks.,” in line with an announcement.

RINA Services believes that classification guidelines want to repeatedly adapt to supply the very best requirements for Ro-Ro security, which sit aspect by aspect with rising asset integrity administration for corporations within the marine business.

RINA Services is deemed to be the world main classification physique for the ferry sector, with a share of 23% of the present complete fleet by way of GT.