ClassNK responds to boxship safety concerns

Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport & Tourism established its Committee on Large Container Ship Safety in response to the casualty, and the committee published its interim findings in Japanese in December 2013, followed by an English language version in March 2014. Among the recommendations was a programme of further investigation and analysis, and the ClassNK panel has been established as a result of this. The panel will be chaired by Professor Yoichi Sumi of Yokohama National University, and composed of experts from shipowners, shipbuilders, and academic institutions.

Following the panel’s first session, the following actions have been agreed:

(1) Investigate the possibility of casualty occurrence;

(2) Conduct on-board measurements of container ships in operation in order to verify actual hull structure responses and acting wave loads; and

(3) Consider and examine large container ship safety

The panel expects to release its findings by the end of August 2014. ClassNK will make its full resources available to the panel, and provide both funding and manpower to support the panel’s activities.

At the same time, ClassNK is chairing an IACS project team to address large container ship safety, which began working in February 2014. Based on the findings of the Investigative Panel and results of related IACS discussions, ClassNK will carry out a review of relevant Rules and Guidelines.

Meanwhile, ClassNK has decided to streamline its structure by reducing the number of members of its Board of Directors from eight to five, appointing two new operating officers, and expanding its survey department into a new survey operations headquarters, which will involve two new general manager positions in Europe and North America to oversee survey operations in those regions.