Safe ship gets certified

ABS Americas Division has certified its first vessel in the US to the IMO?s International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code.

COSCO (H.K.) Shipping Company?s 17,066 dwt bulk carrier “You Ya” was audited at the Port of Houston with ABS approving its ship security plans necessary to issue the International Ship Security Certificate (ISSC).

The company operates about one hundred vessels, aggregating to approximately 4 million dwt and consisting of Handysize, Panamax and Capesize types. It is the largest dry bulk shipping company in Hong Kong and ranks as the third largest in the world.

According to ABS Manager of Safety, Environmental & Security Systems Certification Patrick Fallwell, the pace of upcoming audits is rapidly increasing, as operators must be compliant with the international security regulations by 1 July. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has indicated that vessels may be subject to detentions or fines or non-compliant operators may have their operation shut down until an approved security plan is in place.

Nearly 150 ABS auditors have been trained to assist flag administrations and shipowners with meeting both IMO requirements and, when required, the additional security-related standards required for awarding the optional ABS class notation for security (ABS SEC

ABS estimates that nearly 43,000 ships and mobile offshore drilling units need to comply with the new requirements by 1 July 2004.