![]() ![]() ![]() When ice is present, it can impose additional loads on the hull, propulsion system and appendages. Cold temperatures may reduce the effectiveness of numerous components of the ship, ranging from deck machinery and emergency equipment to sea suctions. The remoteness of the areas makes rescue or clean up operations difficult and costly. Poor weather conditions and the relative lack of good charts, communication systems and other navigational aids pose challenges for mariners. Ships operating in the Arctic and Antarctic environments are exposed to a number of unique risks. Trends and forecasts indicate that polar shipping will grow in volume and diversify in nature over the coming years and these challenges need to be met without compromising either safety of life at sea or the sustainability of the polar environments. The safety of ships operating in the harsh, remote and vulnerable polar areas and the protection of the pristine environments around the two poles have always been a matter of concern for IMO and many relevant requirements, provisions and recommendations have been developed over the years. They became mandatory under the STCW Convention and the STCW Code from 1 July 2018. Mandatory minimum requirements for the training and qualifications of masters and deck officers on ships operating in polar waters were also adopted by IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee in November 2016. The chapters in the Code each set out goals and functional requirements, to include those covering ship structure stability and subdivision watertight and weathertight integrity machinery installations operational safety fire safety/protection life-saving appliances and arrangements safety of navigation communications voyage planning manning and training prevention of oil pollution prevention of pollution form from noxious liquid substances from ships prevention of pollution by sewage from ships and prevention of pollution by discharge of garbage from ships.Ĭhapter 12 of the Polar Code on manning and training says that companies must ensure that masters, chief mates and officers in charge of a navigational watch on board ships operating in polar waters have completed appropriate training, taking into account the provisions of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) and its related STCW Code. Ships need to carry a Polar Water Operational Manual, to provide the Owner, Operator, Master and crew with sufficient information regarding the ship's operational capabilities and limitations in order to support their decision-making process. ![]() The assessment would include information on identified operational limitations, and plans or procedures or additional safety equipment necessary to mitigate incidents with potential safety or environmental consequences. The issuance of a certificate would require an assessment, taking into account the anticipated range of operating conditions and hazards the ship may encounter in the polar waters. The Code will require ships intending to operating in the defined waters of the Antarctic and Arctic to apply for a Polar Ship Certificate, which would classify the vessel as Category A ship - ships designed for operation in polar waters at least in medium first-year ice, which may include old ice inclusions Category B ship - a ship not included in category A, designed for operation in polar waters in at least thin first-year ice, which may include old ice inclusions or Category C ship - a ship designed to operate in open water or in ice conditions less severe than those included in Categories A and B. The Polar Code includes mandatory measures covering safety part (part I-A) and pollution prevention (part II-A) and recommendatory provisions for both (parts I-B and II-B). The Polar Code is intended to cover the full range of shipping-related matters relevant to navigation in waters surrounding the two poles – ship design, construction and equipment operational and training concerns search and rescue and, equally important, the protection of the unique environment and eco-systems of the polar regions.
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