View non-flash version
ABS President Discusses Bulk Carrier Safety ABS President and CEO, Robert Somerville recently discussed Bulk Carrier Safety at a conference in London. His speech, in part, follows. It was in the tumultuous period when the tanker industry was still trying to adjust to OPA90, to the mandate for double hulls, to the uncertainties of COFRs and all the rest of the restrictions that were being placed on their opera- tions. It was also a time when there had been a casualty, with a small amount of pollution, involving a bulk carrier. Of course the incident was portrayed by the media as another "tanker" casual- ty. That owner was very, very frustrated. His basic argument was that his dry bulk brethren just "didn't get it." That it was not just tanker operators who had been thrust into an entirely dif- Looking For an IMO A-60 Window ?? Deansteel Manufacturing now has USCG and Lloyd's Registry certified IMO Marine windows! A-0 through A-60 available. Custom made, up to 40" X 60". Certified for both interior and exterior use. Available in mild and stainless steel. Deansteel manufacturing is proud to announce our new line of IMO marine fire resistant windows. Deansteel has long been known in the offshore industry for top quality construction, durability, and dependable delivery; all at competitive pricing. Deansteel will continue in our tradition of excellence with this line of windows so you can be assured that when you buy Deansteel windows you are getting the veiy best. D££j>BTEEL www.deansteelmarine.com 800-825-8271 111 Merchants St. San Antonio, TX 78204 210-226-8271 210-226-0913 fax Demanding Conditions Require Superior Systems & Equipment Circle 237 on Reader Service Card Circle 305 on Reader Service Card ferent ballgame. It was the industry. That legislators and the general public were not interested in whether one sub- set of the shipping industry was at fault. In their eyes, it was the shipping indus- try that was at fault. That, as a consequence, every time a bulk carrier was involved in a high pro- file casualty, the tanker sector would suffer. His frustration was rooted in the apparent reluctance of the bulk sector to recognize this and to accept that this knock-on effect would ultimately include them. It's only a matter of time, he warned, and they will have their own OPA90. Is there anyone here who would dispute the accuracy of his forecast? These last 10 years have seen a steadi- ly increasing raft of new regulations affecting the design, construction, oper- ation and maintenance of bulk carriers, starting with the Enhanced Survey Program and culminating with the possi- ble mandate for double sides. And I think it is an odds on bet that the process is far from over even though there is clear statistical evidence that ESP is working and that bulk carrier losses are declining. Are the changes warranted? It doesn't matter. The technicalities of double hulls for tankers were entirely irrelevant with- in the political context. When there is a perceived need for action, no legislator worth his salt can resist the temptation to fill the void. And so it is that the bulk carrier owner of the future will most probably be building double side skin vessels, like it or not. Will that double-sided bulker be safer than a robustly designed, well maintained, single skin ship? No. But that is not the way the system works. And I think this is where many members of our industry still have not fully grasped the realities of the current situation. The public face of this industry is the 27 year-old bulk carrier that is detained in a European port with 90 safety defi- ciencies as the owner tries to squeeze in one more voyage before the pending intermediate survey sends her to the • Tow Haulage Systems • Deck Winches • System K valuations • Capstans • Refurbishment and Repair Tel: 715-394-4444 CORPORATION OnboardTrim & Stability Updajfe Ship Operators & Naval Architects- % 1- Users like It 2. It's truly GHS yet It costs less. 3- It can do almost anything but brew coffee. P.O. Box 1910 Port Townsend, WA 98368 USA Phone:(360) 385-6212 tax: 385-6213 email: sales@ghsport.com wiw.glitport.coa/QU Making software that naval architects love tinea 1972 GHS GHS Load Monitor (GLM) GHS/Salvage BHS BHS/Yacht . naval architect's system Onboard system Salvor's system Engineer's system Yach t designer's system Product Modeling - Structure - Outfitting - Piping - Automatic Nesting ShipConstructcm 3D Product Modeling in AutoCAD easy as 2D Drafting Scales from a single user to a hundred users Piping Lofting i u&tiUre Outfitting NC-Processing c Athacorc Research Ltd. E-mail: info@ShipConstructor.com Web: www.ShipConstructor.com Tel: 1-250-479-3638 Toll free: 1-888-210-7420 Fax: 1-250-479-0868 Fairing - Lofting - Plate Expansion - Shell Expansion - NC Processing 58 Circle 204 on Reader Service Card Circle 230 on Reader Service Card Maritime Reporter & Engineering News