Search results

The European Commission in the past has updated the regulations regarding marine operations in order to enhance safety and protection of the environment. In that respect and with the scope to enhance safety onboard ships, Regulation No 391/2009 and in particular Article 10 on certification of ships suggested that EU Recognised Organisations (EU ROs) should harmonise their rules and procedures related to certification of materials, equipment and components based on equivalent standards issued by them. As a result the EU ROs Mutual Recognition (MR) scheme was initiated. This article investigates the current implementation of the requirements of Article 10 through the developed questionnaire and case studies. The results have shown that while safety is considered at the highest level, the current implementation needs further improvement and harmonisation of individual rules which can be delivered as the process matures. Additional information and dissemination of the overall MR process is also required engaging all marine industry. The current implementation is regarded as acceptable; however, the expansion of the scheme is a cause for concern. Finally, global acceptance of the MR scheme remains a challenge to be overcome.

The European Commission has, in the past, updated regulations regarding marine operations in order to enhance safety and protection of the environment. In that respect and with the scope to enhance safety onboard ships, Regulation No 391/2009 and in particular Article 10.1 on certification of ships, suggested that European Union Recognised Organisations (EU ROs) should harmonise their rules and procedures related to certification of materials, equipment and components based on equivalent standards issued by them. As a result the EU ROs Mutual Recognition (MR) scheme was initiated. This paper investigates the current implementation of the requirements of Article 10 through a developed questionnaire and case studies. The results have shown that the current level of implementation is regarded as acceptable and safety is adhered to the highest standard. Moreover, the current implementation needs further improvement and harmonisation of individual rules may be required. EU RO requirements can be further developed in the future as the overall process matures. Additional information and dissemination of the overall MR process is also required engaging additional stakeholders in the marine industry. However, the expansion of the scheme presents challenging issues to overcome including the global acceptance of the MR certification.

The European Commission has, in the past, updated regulations regarding marine operations in order to enhance safety and protection of the environment. In that respect and with the scope to enhance safety onboard ships, Regulation No 391/2009 and in particular Article 10.1 on certification of ships, suggested that European Union Recognised Organisations (EU ROs) should harmonise their rules and procedures related to certification of materials, equipment and components based on equivalent standards issued by them. As a result the EU ROs Mutual Recognition (MR) scheme was initiated. This paper investigates the current implementation of the requirements of Article 10 through a developed questionnaire and case studies. The results have shown that the current level of implementation is regarded as acceptable and safety is adhered to the highest standard. Moreover, the current implementation needs further improvement and harmonisation of individual rules may be required. EU RO requirements can be further developed in the future as the overall process matures. Additional information and dissemination of the overall MR process is also required engaging additional stakeholders in the marine industry. However, the expansion of the scheme presents challenging issues to overcome including the global acceptance of the MR certification.

The ship recycling industry is often criticised for unacceptable occupational health and safety practices. In order to support the development of technical solutions and new regulatory norms, there is an urgent need for quantitative data explaining the impacts of ship recycling practices on health and safety. Therefore, this study investigated hazardous noise exposure in ship recycling yards by identifying the sources of noise, quantifying their potential impacts on workers and making recommendations for improvement. A noise exposure investigation in an operational ship recycling yard was conducted, which comprised a general noise survey, a personal noise exposure measurement for workers and comparison of the results with the exposure limits and action values defined by the European Union's Physical Agents (Noise) Directive (EC 2003b). The results of this study show that ship recycling workers are at risk of experiencing occupational noise induced hearing loss as a result of being exposed to hazardous noise levels for prolonged periods of time. This study explains that those working with torch cutting equipment, in particular, are most at risk. The study also shows that there is currently a lack of appropriate hearing protection being used in ship recycling yards.