Flags must take lead role in flag/class partnerships

While the new spirit of cooperation that exists between the parties responsible for maritime safety, including flag states and class societies, is to be applauded, it is time for targeted, concrete action to be taken. Speaking at the Mare Forum USA 2004 meeting in New York today (April 26), Dr Hans Payer, External Affairs Adviser to Germanischer Lloyd, stated that there is much that class can do to assist flag administrations in ridding

the seas of substandard ships and improving safety standards. However, flags must first exert their full range of executive powers as ship registers and signatories of IMO conventions if real progress is to be made.

Reflecting the conference theme, ?Navigating Through a Sea of Change?, Dr Payer said that there is a danger of shipowners being swamped by waves of new rules in the current environment of zero tolerance. Flag states, class and other responsible parties need to work together to ensure that any new regulations serve a useful purpose, are practically framed and, finally, are uniformly enforced.

While flags delegate to class many of the technical tasks associated with verifying the safety and quality standards of the vessels on their registers, classification societies have only periodic contact with the ships and limited possibilities for policing these standards. It is up to flag states, pointed out Dr Payer, to establish an administration which not only vets ships prior to registration but also assists shipowners, on a continuous basis, in pinpointing weak spots; complying with the welter of shipping legislation; utilising lessons learned in individual incidents for the benefit of the whole fleet; and being prepared for worst-case scenarios.

Dr Payer told the Mare Forum delegates that there are several areas where class expects flag states to do more, i.e.

(a) the provision of regular, relevant and timely information to owners;

(b) the training of shipowner staff, including crews;

(c) follow-up action on non-performing owners;

(d) better accident investigations;

(e) laying down requirement for emergency response systems (ERS); and

(f) implementation of a regime of contingency planning for emergency

situations.

Class is in a position to assist flags in implementing the technical detail of many of these functions, but flag administrations need to be in the driving seat and to have the resources needed to manage these initiatives ?in-house? using a top-down approach.

In looking at the ERS issue, for example, Dr Payer said that the negative impact of many accidents could have been reduced if the ship in trouble was in possession of a suitable ERS. This has been proven by the many positive outcomes in accidents involving ships for which an ERS had been prepared by its class society. In such emergencies the class society assists the ship?s crew in real time with the implementation of emergency response actions, as it holds all the relevant ship design and related structural and technical information on its computers.

Although a number of shipowners have subscribed to ERS services for a number of years, and ERS is compulsory for tankers trading in US waters under the 1990 Oil Pollution Act (OPA 90), the majority of ships are not covered by ERS. Dr Payer told Mare Forum delegates that the two stricken tankers Erika and Prestige could have survived, and associated oil pollution could have been greatly minimised, had ERS been called for and provided. “I would recommend and, indeed, request flag states and IMO to make ERS mandatory worldwide, certainly for tankers,” stated Dr Payer.