GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING SHIPBOARD EMERGENCY PLANS
FOR SHIPS CARRYING MATERIALS SUBJECT TO THE INF CODE
(Adopted
on 27 November 1997)
RECALLING
Article 15(j) of the Convention of the International Maritime Organization
concerning the function of this Assembly in relation to regulations and
guidelines concerning maritime safety, the prevention and control of marine
pollution from ships, and other matters concerning the effect of shipping on
the marine environment,
HAVING
ADOPTED, by resolution A.853(20), amendments to the INF Code on shipboard
emergency plans and notification in the event of an incident involving
materials subject to the Code,
RECOGNIZING
the need to have a consistent approach to the development of shipboard emergency
plans,
HAVING
CONSIDERED the recommendations made by the MSC at its sixty-eighth session and
by the MEPC at its thirty-ninth session and fortieth session:
1.
ADOPTS the Guidelines for Developing Shipboard Emergency Plans for Ships
Carrying Materials subject to the INF Code set out at annex to this resolution;
and
2.
URGES Governments, in implementing the provisions referring to this subject in
the INF Code, to use the Guidelines set out at annex to this resolution.
Annex.
GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING SHIPBOARD EMERGENCY PLANS FOR SHIPS CARRYING
MATERIALS SUBJECT TO THE INF CODE
These
Guidelines, prepared by the Marine Environment Protection Committee of the
International Maritime Organization (IMO), contain information for the preparation
of Shipboard Emergency Plans for Ships Carrying Materials Subject to the IMO
Code for the Safe Carriage of Irradiated Nuclear Fuel, Plutonium, and
High-Level Radioactive Wastes in Flasks on board Ships (INF Code). These
Guidelines were developed as part of the work assigned by the Assembly to the
Committees regarding the review and amendment of the INF Code.
The
main objectives of these Guidelines are:
-
to assist shipowners in preparing comprehensive shipboard emergency plans for
ships carrying INF Code materials; and
-
to assist in responding to shipboard emergencies involving INF Code materials
and in providing information in accordance with international law to
authorities involved in assisting or handling incidents at sea involving INF
Code materials.
In
the interest of uniformity, Governments are requested to refer to these
Guidelines when preparing appropriate national regulations. While in port or an
offshore terminal, the carriage of a shipboard emergency plan for ships
carrying materials subject to the INF Code should be subject to inspection by
duly authorized officers.
The
type of emergency planning and preparedness that is needed for responding to
transport incidents involving INF Code materials is, to some extent, similar to
that required for responding to transport accidents involving non-radioactive
hazardous or noxious substances. Accordingly, emergency response organizations
and personnel may apply the concepts used to respond to incidents involving
other types of hazardous or noxious substances, employing special knowledge,
skills and equipment to deal effectively with the wide range of possible
consequences of incidents involving INF Code materials.
In
the case where a ship is required to have a shipboard emergency plan by other international
instruments, the plan provided for in these Guidelines may be combined with
such other plans. In this case, the title of such a combined plan should be
"Shipboard Marine Emergency Plan".
1.1
These Guidelines have been developed to assist in the preparation of Shipboard
Emergency Plans for Ships carrying Materials Subject to the INF Code
("Plan(s)"). These Guidelines were developed as part of the work
assigned by the Assembly regarding the review and amendment of the INF Code,
particularly in view of paragraph 27 of the Code. The Plan(s) should be
approved in accordance with the Code.
Definitions
for the purpose of these Guidelines
1.2
Incident means any occurrence or series of occurrences, including loss of
container integrity, having the same origin which results or may result in a
release, or probable cargo release of INF Code materials.
1.3
Shipboard Emergency Plan or Plan means a document that is tailored to a
particular ship carrying INF Code materials and contains the procedures to be
followed to ensure shipboard preparedness for responding to emergencies.
1.4
Release means the escape of INF Code materials from its containment system or
the loss of an INF Code package.
1.5
The Guidelines are comprised of three sections:
.1 Introduction:
This section provides a general overview of the subject matter and introduces
the reader to the basic concept of the Guidelines and the Plans that are
expected to be developed from them.
.2 Essential
provisions: This section provides those elements that should, at a minimum, be
included in a Plan.
.3 Additional
provisions: This section provides guidance concerning the inclusion of other
information in the Plan. Such information may be required by local authorities
in ports visited by the ship, or it may be added to provide additional
assistance to the ship's master when responding to an emergency situation. The
section also provides guidance on updating and training and exercises to test
the plan.
1.6
The Guidelines are intended to provide a starting point for the preparation of
specific Shipboard Emergency Plans for each ship engaged in transporting INF
Code materials. Plan writers are cautioned that they should consider in their
Plans the many variables that apply to their ships. Some of these variables
include: type and size of ship, category of INF Code materials and their
physical properties, route, and shore-based management structure. The
Guidelines are not intended to be a compilation of menu items from which the
Plan writer can select certain sections and produce a workable Plan, but rather
a process to ensure preparedness for responding to emergencies. For a Plan to
be effective, it should be carefully tailored to the particular ship for which
it is intended. Properly used, the Guidelines will ensure that all appropriate
issues are considered in developing the Plan.
1.7
The Plan is intended to assist personnel in avoiding the further escalation of
an incident and in dealing with an actual or potential release of INF Code
materials. Its primary purpose is to set in motion the necessary actions to
avoid or minimize a release and to mitigate its effects. Regardless of the
magnitude of an incident, effective planning ensures that the necessary actions
are taken in a structured, logical, safe, and timely manner.
1.8
The Plan should provide for small or routine emergencies. However, it should
also include guidance to assist the master in meeting the demands of a
large-scale incident, should the ship become involved in one.
1.9
The need for a predetermined and properly structured Plan is clear when one
considers the pressures and multiple tasks facing personnel confronted with an
emergency situation. In the heat of the moment, lack of proper planning will
often result in confusion, mistakes, and failure to advise key people. Delays
will be incurred and time will be wasted, time during which the situation may
well worsen. As a consequence, the ship, its personnel, and the public may be exposed
to increasing hazards, and greater environmental damage may result.
1.10
Shipboard emergency plans should be realistic, practical, and easy to use. They
should be understood by ship management personnel, both on board and ashore,
and be evaluated, reviewed, and updated regularly.
1.11
The Plan is envisioned as a simple document. Use of summarizing flow-charts or
checklists to guide the master through the various actions and decisions
required during an incident response is highly encouraged. These can provide a
quickly visible and logically sequenced form of information which can reduce
error and oversight during emergency situations. Inclusion of extensive
background information on the ship or cargo should be avoided, as this is
generally available elsewhere. If such information is relevant, it should be
kept in annexes where it will not make it more difficult for ship personnel to
locate operative parts of the Plan.
1.12
An example of a summarizing flow-chart referred to in 1.11 is included in appendix
I.
1.13
Also, since the Plan is intended to be a document used on board by master and
officers of the ship, it is imperative that one copy in the language understood
by crew members with responsibilities under the Plan, as well as an English
copy, is carried on board. A change in the master and officers which brings
about an attendant change in their working languages would require the issuance
of the Plan in the new language.
1.14
Responsibilities for preparing and dealing with a marine transport incident
involving INF Code materials are generally divided among several entities:
Governments, organizations, and persons. The severity, or potential severity,
of the incident in terms of its consequences typically would determine the
level of response and involvement of these entities.
1.15
The consignor or shipper is responsible for ensuring that before the transport
of INF Code material, carriers are made fully aware of the procedures to be
followed, both on board the ship and by shore-based organizations, in the event
of an incident involving such materials. It is the responsibility of the
consignor or shipper to know and comply with all applicable international,
national, state, or local regulations or guidelines pertaining to the shipment
of INF Code materials, and how to deal with all the potential difficulties
anticipated when shipping by sea. In addition, the consignor should make
available to the carrier the appropriate technical information, emergency
instructions, and notification information. Generally, the consignor should be
prepared to assist in an emergency response to an incident involving any INF
Coden materials by providing timely and detailed information about shipments
and to send immediately emergency response/support assets to an incident site,
if required. The planning for such assistance should be complementary to the
Plan.
1.16
The carrier also has responsibilities both for safety during transport and in
the event of an incident. In general, both the carrier and the consignor should
be prepared to respond immediately to an incident involving 1NF Code materials.
The carrier also has the responsibility to know and comply with all applicable
regulations pertaining to the carriage of 1NF Code materials. This may include
being informed of the different response procedures in all areas along the
route; ensuring that if an incident occurs, it is properly and rapidly assessed
by people knowledgeable in responding to incidents involving 1NF Code material;
ensuring
that proper emergency instructions are carried on board the ship; facilitating
a prompt response by the consignor/shipper and crew in the event of an
incident; and ensuring that all required notifications are accomplished in an
expeditious manner. Specifically, carrier personnel should ensure that they
immediately inform the nearest coastal State, the consignor, and other
appropriate authorities and act according to the Plan.
1.17
Distribution of the Plan should be as follows:
-
the shipowner and operator should both keep a copy of the Plan and ensure that
at least one copy is carried on board.
1.18
The Plan should dearly emphasize the following:
-
Without interfering with shipowners' liability, some coastal States consider
that it is their responsibility to define techniques and means to be taken
against a marine pollution incident and approve such operations which might
cause further pollution. States are in general entitled to do so under the
International Convention relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of
Oil Pollution Casualties, 1969 and the Protocol relating to Intervention on the
High Seas in Cases of Pollution by Substances other than Oil, 1973.
1.19
Planning for incidents involving 1NF Code materials should be approached as
part of a process which also includes the emergency response plans of local
authorities and organizations. As noted in 1.15 above, the carriers are to be
made fully aware of the international, national, state and local regulations
pertaining to the shipment of INF Code materials and potential difficulties
anticipated when shipping by sea by the consignor or shipper.
1.20
The content of each Plan should be determined by a consideration of the type of
ship used for transporting INF Code materials, the packages used for transport,
and the potential consequences of related transport incidents. Appendix II
provides additional sources of information that may be useful in developing a
Plan.
1.21
A shipowner or operator with multiple ships may prepare one plan with a separate
ship-specific annex for each ship covered by the Plan and a separate
geographic-specific appendix for each coastal State in which the ship(s)
operate.
2. ESSENTIAL PROVISIONS OF SHIPBOARD EMERGENCY PLAN
FOR SHIPS CARRYING MATERIALS SUBJECT TO THE INF CODE
2.1
In accordance with paragraph 27 of the Code, the Plan at a minimum should
contain:
.1 the procedure
to be followed by the master or other persons having charge of the ship in
reporting an incident involving INF Code materials, as required by paragraph
29;
.2 the list of
authorities or persons to be contacted in the event of an incident involving
INF Code materials;
.3 a detailed
description of the action to be taken immediately by persons on board to
prevent, reduce or control the release, and mitigate the consequences of the
loss, of INF Code materials following the incident; and
.4 the
procedures and point of contact on the ship for coordinating shipboard action
with national and local authorities.
2.2
The Plan should provide specific information regarding the ship, including:
.1 the ship
name, country of registry, call sign, and IMO identification number, if
applicable;
.2 the name,
address, and procedures for contacting the consignor, consignee, shipper,
shipowner or operator on a 24-hour basis; and
.3
identification of communication equipment on board.
2.3
Paragraphs 29 and 30 of the INF Code provide that the nearest coastal State
should be notified of an actual or probable release. The intent of this provision
is to ensure that coastal States are informed without delay of any incident
giving rise to pollution, or threat of pollution, of the marine environment, or
in the event of damage, failure or breakdown of a ship carrying INF Code
materials, so that appropriate action may be taken.
2.4
When required. The Plan should provide clear, concise guidance to enable the
master to determine when a report to the coastal State is required.
2.5
Actual release. A report to the nearest coastal State is required whenever
there is any release of INF Code materials. A report should also be made in the
event of damage, failure, or breakdown of a ship carrying INF Code materials
which affects the safety of the ship, including allision, collision, grounding,
fire, explosion, structural failure, flooding, and cargo shifting; and results
in the impairment of the safety of navigation, including the failure or
breakdown of steering gear, propulsion system, electrical generating system and
essential shipborne navigational aids.
2.6
Probable release. The Plan should give the master guidance in evaluating a
situation which, though not involving an actual release, would present a risk
of a release and thus require a report. In judging whether there is such a risk
and whether a report should be made, the following factors, as a minimum,
should be taken into account:
.1 the nature of
the damage, failure or breakdown of the ship, machinery, equipment or the loss
of cargo container integrity;
.2 ship location
and proximity to land or other navigational hazards;
.3 weather,
tide, current, and sea state; and
.4 traffic
density.
2.7
It is impracticable to lay down precise definitions of all types of situations
involving risks which would warrant an obligation to report. As a general guideline,
the master should make a report in cases of:
.1 damage,
failure, or breakdown which affects the safety of the ship, such as allision,
collision, grounding, fire, explosion, structural failure, flooding, or cargo
shifting;
.2 failure or
breakdown of machinery or equipment which results in impairment of safety of
navigation, such as failure or breakdown of steering gear, propulsion,
electrical generating system, and essential shipboard navigational aids; and
.3 loss of cargo
container integrity that may involve a release or probable release of INF Code
materials.
2.8
Information required. The Plan shall specify, in appropriate detail, the
procedure for making the initial report to the coastal State. The
Organization's Guidelines on Reporting in resolution A.648(16) provide
necessary detail for the Plan writer. The Plan should include a prepared
message form, an example of which is included in appendix III to these
Guidelines. Coastal States are encouraged to take note of the information in
this appendix and accept it as sufficient information. Supplementary or
follow-up reports should as far as possible use the same format.
2.9
The initial reporting by on-board personnel should include answers to the
following questions:
.1 Are there any
injuries on board;
.2 Is there (or
was there) a fire near the INF Code materials;
.3 What kind of
radiological or chemical hazards exist; and
.4 What are the
meteorological conditions, including wind direction?
List
of persons, agencies and organizations to be contacted
2.10
The ship involved in an incident involving INF Code material will have to
communicate with both coastal State or port contacts and ship interest
contacts. The Plan should include descriptions of the primary and secondary
communications methods by which notifications will be made.
2.11
When compiling such contact lists, due account should be taken of the need to
provide 24-hour contact information and to provide alternatives to the
designated contact. These details should be routinely updated to take account
of personnel changes and changes to telephone, fax, e-mail and telex numbers.
Clear guidance should also be provided regarding the preferred means of
communication (telephone, fax, e-mail, telex, etc.).
2.12
In order to expedite response and minimize damage from an incident involving
INF Code material, it is essential that the nearest coastal States be notified
without delay.
2.13
The Plan should include as an appendix the list of agencies or officials of Administrations
responsible for receiving and processing reports of incidents involving INF
Code materials. In the absence of a listed focal point, or should any undue
delay be experienced in contacting the responsible authority by direct means,
the master should be advised to contact the nearest rescue co-ordination
centre, coastal radio station, or designated ship movement reporting station by
the quickest available means to accomplish the report. See IMO list of National
Operational Contact Points.
2.14
For ships in port, notification of local agencies will speed response.
Information on regularly visited ports should be included as an appendix to the
Plan. Where this is not feasible, the Plan should require the master to obtain
details concerning local reporting procedures upon arriving in port.
2.15
The Plan should provide details of all parties with an interest in the ship to
be advised in the event of an incident. This information should be compiled in
the form of a contact list. When compiling such lists, it should be remembered
that, in the event of a serious incident, ship's personnel may be fully engaged
in saving life and taking steps to control and minimize the effects of the
incident. They should therefore not be hampered by having onerous
communications requirements imposed on them.
2.16
Procedures will vary between companies but it is important that the Plan
clearly specifies who will be responsible for informing the various interested
parties such as cargo owners, insurers and salvage interests. It is also
essential that both the ship's Plan and its company's shore-side Plan are
co-ordinated to guarantee that all parties having an interest are advised and
that duplication of reports is avoided.
2.17
In addition to any radiological expertise of the crew, radiological monitoring
and assessment may be delivered by specialized monitoring teams. The Plan
should identify points of contact for such teams on a 24-hour basis so that
they can be notified expeditiously when their assistance is required.
Shipboard
emergency procedures
2.18
Ship personnel will almost always be in the best position to take quick action
to prevent, reduce, or control the release of INF Code material from their
ship. The Plan should provide the master