Chemship owners wait and see

NEWS BULLETIN

KNOW YOUR ARMS

The Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) has updated its Design and Construction Specification for Marine Loading Arms (MLA) publication. This fourth edition provides enhanced and updated guidance to owners and vendors of MLAs used in the transfer of oil and oil products, LNG, LPG, ammonia, ethylene and other gases.

“The development of this updated and enhanced guidance was necessary to account for the significant technical and regulatory changes related to MLAs since the last edition was published [ten years ago],” says Chris Snape, who chaired the working group that produced the new edition. “By taking advantage of standard software capabilities to aid the accuracy of standard information provided by owners to manufacturers, we are confident that this publication will support the highest standards of safety and best practice.”

“There are considerable differences between the various designs available, so getting alignment on safety-related design and construction specifications is a significant achievement and speaks to the professionalism of all those involved,” adds OCIMF director Rob Drysdale. “The book contains much more detail and information than previous editions, including new and emerging technologies as the use of marine loading arms expands into other areas.”

The new MLA book is available for purchase via the OCIMF website, www.ocimf.org.

FEWER SPILLS THAN EVER

Last year witnessed the fewest oil pollution incidents at sea since records began in 1970, according to the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation’s (ITOPF) latest annual survey. Only three oil spill events were recorded, only one of which involved the loss of more than 700 tonnes of product, with an estimated total of some 1,000 tonnes. The number of incidents is half the ten-year average, compared to an average of around 79 per year in the 1970s.

ITOPF’s figure for 2019 does not include the mysterious spill that contaminated some 3,000 km of coastline in Brazil, the source of which is thus far unknown. The statistics may be changed should it be determined that it came from an oil tanker. www.itopf.org

LPG GETS A PASS

The UK Freight Transport Association (FTA) has extended the Safe Loading Pass Scheme, introduced for liquid fuels in 2015, to cover LPG as from 1 January 2020. From then, any vehicle loading LPG at participating terminals must be inspected under the scheme, which is recognised by members of the UK Petroleum Industries Association (UK PIA) and the Tank Storage Association (TSA).

“We have worked closely with Liquid Gas UK, UKPIA and TSA to adapt the audits and inspections developed for liquid fuel tankers to LPG tankers,” says Sharon Mitchell, head of audits and standards at FTA. “This will offer fuel terminal managers the same safety assurances that the Scheme offers for both types of vehicle entering their premises.” www.safeloadingpass.co.uk www.fta.co.uk

FIRE GUIDE FOR CONTAINERS

ABS has issued a new Guide for Fire-Fighting Systems for Cargo Areas of Container Carriers, in what it describes as an “industry first”. The Guide is for the use of designers, builders, owners and operators and specifies the ABS requirements for addressing fire safety in four key areas: fire-fighting for containers stowed on deck, fire-fighting for containers stowed below, fire safety of the deckhouse and container hold flooding as a measure for fire-fighting.

“Container carriers have grown much larger in recent years and the volume of cargo carried has expanded significantly,” says Gareth Burton, vice-president of technology at ABS. “In addition, the nature of the cargo has changed. Fires involving containers, especially with the volume and type of cargo now being carried, are becoming more frequent and can present a significant risk to the safety of the crew and the vessel.” ww2.eagle.org

CLEAN AND GREEN

ClassNK has released an updated version of its Guidelines for the Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM), with this fourth edition taking account of the entry into force at the end of 2020 of EU regulations that will require all existing ships sailing under the flag of EU member states and ships flying the flag of a third country and calling at an EU port or anchorage to have an IHM.

The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships Convention (HKC), adopted in 2009, that will require an IHM for all ships over 500 gt, has not yet entered into force, although only two more significant maritime nations are needed to accede to it for it to meet the necessary conditions.

ClassNK has revised its guidelines to include comprehensive content on the development and maintenance of IHM in line with not only the HKC, but also EU regulations, including the validity of an existing statement of compliance. The guidelines can be freely downloaded from the ClassNK website, www.classnk.com (registration required).

BUY ONLINE FROM LION

Lion Technology has opened an online store to offer hazmat shipping labels, marks and placards. The labels and placards Lion offers are made from durable, weather-resistant materials to withstand the rigors of transport. Printed with fade-resistant, ultraviolet inks, these labels and placards will remain bright, noticeable, and compliant throughout the supply chain.

Tammy Kent, Lion’s president, explains: “At Lion, our prime objective has always been to simplify regulatory compliance for industry professionals. By offering hazmat labels and placards, we’ve made Lion.com a one-stopshop for the hazmat training, consulting, and products that shippers need.” www.lion.com/products

WAY TO GO

MULTIMODAL • AT ITS AUTUMN 2019 SESSION, THE JOINT MEETING OF RID/ADR/ADN EXPERTS MADE A GREAT DEAL OF PROGRESS ON INCORPORATING CHANGES FROM THE UN

The Joint Meeting of the RID Committee of Experts and the UN Economic Commission for Europe’s (ECE) Working Party on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (WP15) held its autumn 2019 session in Geneva this past 17 to 26 September. During the lengthy session, the Joint Meeting continued with its business of transposing the latest round of regulatory amendments from the UN Model Regulations into the modal regulations that apply across Europe and increasingly (especially for road transport) further afield.

The Joint Meeting’s aim is to maintain harmonisation, insofar as is possible, between the regulations covering the transport of dangerous goods by rail (RID), road (ADR) and inland waterways (ADN).

The meeting was chaired as usual by Claude Pfauvadel (France) with Silvia Garcia Wolfrum (Spain) as vice-chair. It was attended by representatives from 22 countries as full members, a representative from DR Congo in a consultative capacity, the European Commission (EC), the EU Agency for Railways (ERA), the Organisation for Cooperation between Railways (OSJD) and 20 non-governmental organisations.

Before the Joint Meeting began its deliberations, Yuwei Li, director of the UN ECE Sustainable Transport Division, explained recent changes to its structure, namely the creation of the new Road Safety Management and Dangerous Goods section, and the appointment of Romain Hubert as Chief of Section, effective 1 June 2019. TANKS MATTERS As is the normal procedure, those papers relating to the transport of dangerous goods in tanks were entrusted to the Working Group on Tanks, which met for the first three days of the session under the chairmanship of Arne Bale (UK) with Kees de Putter (Netherlands) acting as secretary.

The UK presented a paper following up on earlier discussions of its proposals to amend 6.8.2.1.28 relating to the positioning of protective fittings and accessories mounted on the upper parts of vacuum-operated waste tanks. Opinion remained divided on the merits of the proposals, with the Working Group noting that the provisions of this paragraph already allow for flexibility. This may be the end of the matter, unless further evidence is forthcoming.

On a similar topic, the UK put forward a paper seeking the experts’ opinion on the different clamping arrangements for the openable ends of vacuum-operated waste tanks, particularly regarding the need to protect over-the-centre hydraulic clamps. Those experts who responded said that such clamps are used without additional protection, although noting that those in use in their countries are more robust than the example shown in the UK paper.

VACUUM-OPERATED WASTE TANKS HAVE GENERATED

A LOT OF TALK BUT NOT MUCH ACTION

The UK asked for consideration of 6.10.3.8 on the diversion of vapours from the outlets of pumps and exhauster units so that they will not cause danger. The Working Group felt that the current wording does not prohibit the use of a low-level outlet, whether or not a hose is fitted, and that it is the responsibility of the tank operator to decide where it is safe to divert vapours. Wording proposed by the UK would, it was felt, be too restrictive.

It was, however, felt that it would be useful to add a Note to 6.10.3.8(a), a decision with which the Joint Meeting agreed. This will read:

NOTE: This requirement may, for example, be complied with by the use of a vertical pipe or a low-level outlet with a connection which allows, when necessary, attachment of a hose.

Yet another paper from the UK continued the discussion from previous sessions on the amendment to footnote 3 of 6.8.2.1.18 on the cross-sectional shape of tank shells; this had been agreed but kept in square brackets pending revision of the EN 13094 standard. This is unlikely to be published in time for the 2021 editions of RID and ADR but the Working Group felt that WP15 should introduce guidance containing the relevant clauses from the standard, which have been agreed.

The text already agreed was subjected to some further revision, although the Joint Meeting felt that it could be simplified further. The UK volunteered to submit an amended version to WP15 for its November 2019 session.

The UK also presented the reports of the 11th and 12th session of the informal working group on the inspection and certification of tanks, which had generated revised texts for 6.8, 1.8.7 and 1.8.6, along with consequential amendments in Chapter 6.2. It was anticipated that the work would be completed at the next scheduled meeting of the informal working group in London in December 2019, with the aim of presenting an official document at the March 2020 session of the Joint Meeting. All delegations were urged to study the proposals in detail and to send comments and proposals in writing.

The Netherlands proposed to move the provisions relating to heating elements used on fibre-reinforced plastics (FRP) tanks from Chapter 6.9 to Chapter 4.4 in order to prevent misinterpretation, after it had emerged that some countries do not grant periodic or intermediate inspection certificates for tanks equipped in this manner. There was broad sympathy for the idea but it was felt that it would be best to await the outcome of discussions by the UN Sub-committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (TDG). As an interim measure, it was suggested that operators should render the heating elements inoperable until the work of the FRP Working Group of the TDG Sub-committee has been completed.

The Intergovernmental Organisation for the International Carriage by Rail (OTIF) proposed some alignments in the different language versions; the Working Group agreed that OTIF’s proposals were correct. In the English language version of RID, this has led to the replacement of “shells” by “tanks” in the definition of ‘tank-wagon’ in 1.2.1; in 6.8.2.1.11 of both RID and ADR (English version), “welded tanks” is replaced by “welded shells”.

The secretariat invited the Working Group to take a look at discussions that took place at the previous session of WP15 on the placarding and marking of tank vehicles in cases where there had been a change of load without the tanks being cleaned. The practice raises some problems; for instance, when biodiesel is loaded after gasoline has been carried, it is possible for the gasoline residue to reduce the flashpoint of the biodiesel to such a degree that it should be classified as flammable. Is it then appropriate for the vehicle to continue to carry the same marking? It was recognised that more discussion was needed on this topic but the experts were wary of over-complicating the provisions.

In an informal document, France sought a change in 6.8.2.1.20, following a query by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) during its discussions on the revision of EN 13094. It was noted that Chapter 6.8 of ADR uses ‘capacity’ and ‘volume’ interchangeably and it was thought, that for consistency and to avoid misinterpretation, ‘capacity’ should be used throughout, as it is defined in 1.2.1. The French proposal was agreed, so that 6.8.2.1.20(b)1 will read: - Capacity between two partitions or surge-plates of not more than 7500 l. »