Lesson. Solas

Synonyms:

1. ground / basis / cause – основание

2. objective / aim / goal – цель

3. avoidance / evasion – избежание

4. adopt / accept / admit – принимать

5. outfit, overall, boiler suit — комбинезон

Vocabulary notes:

6. EPIRB — аварийный радиомаяк для обнаружения кораблекрушения

7. chipping — механическая обработка, снимание стружки

8. outfit — специальная одежда

9. bailer — лейка для удаления воды из лодки

10. International Safety Management (ISM) — Международный кодекс по управлению безопасностью

11. Safety Management System (SMS) — система контроля за безопасностью

12. electrical fitting — электрическая арматура

13. pilot ladder — шторм-трап, лоцманский трап

14. work permit — разрешение на выполнение работ

15. cold work — холодная обработка металла

16. work hours — продолжительность рабочего дня

17. power tool — инструмент с силовым приводом

18. visor — иллюминатор водолазного шлема

Exercise 2. Read, translate and discuss the text.

The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) is one of the most important international conventions dealing with maritime safety and also it’s also one of the oldest. The first version was adopted in 1914 in response to the Titanic disaster, the second in 1929, the third in 1948 and the fourth in 1960. The present version was adopted in 1974 and entered into force in 1980.

The main objective of the SOLAS Convention is to specify minimum standards for the construction, equipment, and operation of ships compatible with their safety. Flag States are responsible for ensuring that ships under their flag comply with its requirements, and a number of certificates are prescribed in the Convention as proof that this has been done.

The current SOLAS Convention includes Articles and Annexes setting out general obligations and procedures concerning safety of navigation; carriage of cargoes including dangerous goods; fire protection and fire-fighting equipment; life-saving appliances and arrangements including requirements for lifeboats, rescue boats and life jackets according to the type of ship.

SOLAS includes Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) according to which all passenger ships and all cargo ships of 300 gross tonnage and more on international voyages should carry satellite emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs) and search and rescue transponders (SARTs) for the location of a ship or a survival craft.

Statistics say that about 80% of all shipping accidents are caused by people. ISM Code (chapter IX of SOLAS) provides tools (check-lists, procedures, etc.) to prevent accidents, injuries, and pollution caused by poor management and human mistakes.

Objectives of the ISM Code are to ensure safety at sea, prevention of human injury or loss of life, and avoidance of damage to the environment, especially to the marine environment and to property. Safety management objectives of the Company should:

• provide for safe practices in ship’s operation and safe working environment;

• establish safeguards against all identified risks; and

• continuously improve safety management skills of personnel ashore and aboard ships, including preparing for emergencies related both to safety and environmental protection.

The ISM Code establishes an international standard for the safe management and operation of ships - Safety Management System (SMS). The functional requirements for a SMS are:

• a safety and environmental protection policy;

• instructions, procedures, and check-lists to ensure safe operations of ships and protection of the environment in accordance with international, national, and port state regulations;

• procedures for emergency situations.

The ISM Code requires the company to develop plans and procedures for all special and critical operations onboard. Before carrying out any task onboard, you have to check in the SMS if there is any written procedure or plan describing how to do it. If so, you have to follow that plan.

In order to avoid accidents and eliminate the risk of fire and explosion onboard it is necessary to plan; the work and follow all work permits before any work starts.

Required work permits include:

HOT WORK PERMIT should be issued, when involving risks such as fire, explosions. Example of such work: welding, cutting. All hot work must be reported to the office before start.

ENCLOSED SPACE ENTRY PERMIT should be issued, when involving risks like: lack of oxygen, dangerous gases. Example of such work: tank inspections, tank cleaning.

ELECTRICAL WORK PERMIT should be issued, when involving risks like: electrical shock. Example of such work: replacing electrical fittings.

WORKING ALOFT PERMIT should be issued, when involving risks like: falling down. Example of such work: replacing navigation lights; any work done so high up that you risk to hurt yourself if fall.

UNDERWATER WORK PERMIT should be issued, when involving risks like: a diver may be injured by a propeller. Example of such work: diving.

WORKING OUTBOARD PERMIT should be issued, when involving risks like: falling into the sea. Example of such work: fixing a pilot ladder; any work outside the ship's hull.

COLD WORK PERMIT should be issued, when involving risks like: explosions. Example of such work: rust chipping, all work with power tools outside the engine room.

WORK HOURS. Personnel should have a proper rest before taking over the watch. All watchkeepers must receive no less than 10 hours of rest in each 24 hour period.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT When you sign on your vessel, you will get the necessary personal protective equipment required for your job. Depending on your position onboard it can be: Safety Shoes, Boiler Suits, Hard Hats, Ear Protection, Safety Goggles, Gloves, etc. It's your responsibility always to wear the correct personal protective equipment and to keep it in good condition.

Follow the rules:

• The overalls and safety boots supplied onboard the vessel must be worn at all times.

• All crew must wear the appropriate personal protective equipment.

• Ear defenders should be worn in high noise areas.

• Goggles or visors of the appropriate type are required. when chipping, grinding, welding, handling chemicals, etc.

• Hard hats must be worn when working on the main deck, cargo holds, and in the engine- room.

• Safety harness or safety belt must be worn when working aloft, overboard, or where there is a risk of falling.

• Dust masks are necessary when working in a dusty atmosphere.

• To provide protection of hands the correct type of gloves must be used.

Exercise 3. Answer the following questions:

1. What is the main objective of the SOLAS Convention?

2. What is the most frequent reason of all shipping accidents?

3. What system describes the ship’s safety policy?

4. What is the difference between ISM code and SMS?

5. What do you know about work permits?

6. What does the SOLAS abbreviation mean?

7. When the cold work permit should be issued?

8. When the electrical work permit should be issued?

Exercise 4. Read the dialogue and then make your own ones discussing several situations.

Port Insp.: I am authorized to inspect your ship’s safety equipment. Show me your ship’s International Certificate issued to you under SOLAS Convention.

OOW: Here you are. I think everything is all right, as we were surveyed only a year ago.

P.I.: Let me have a look. Well, all certificates are valid. And now if you don’t mind I’d like to make survey of your ship’s safety equipment. Will you show me to the boat-deck?

OOW: This way, please. We are on the boat deck.

P.I.: I see all boats are available here and provided with proper supplies and equipment. You’ve got only 7 life buoys, but under article 37 of the International Convention SOLAS a ship of your type is to have 8 ones. You should get the missing life buoy within 1-2 days through your agent.

OOW: So it will not delay our departure, won’t it?

P.I.: Certainly, it won’t. I’ll visit you before the ship’s departure and check the availability of all lifesaving appliances once more.

OOW:Good. Settled.

Discuss the following situations using the words and expressions given in the brackets.

1. Unknown vessel is asking for help after the collision (to respond to SOS distress call, to break off the voyage, to proceed to the scene of disaster, to give an advice, to render assistance, to pick up survivors).

2. A man has fallen overboard (to throw life buoys, to take care not to hit him, to sound the alarm signal, to lower a life-boat (if necessary), to inform the Master to send for a doctor, to render first aid).

3. A ship should be abandoned (to wear life-jackets, to fig fenders over the inboard side, to keep a painter tight, to lower the life-boat, to keep the boat fore-and-aft).

Exercise 5. Match the title of the chapters and its description.

The main objective of the SOLAS Convention is to specify minimum standards for the construction, equipment and operation of ships, compatible with their safety.

The current SOLAS Convention includes Articles setting out general obligations, amendment procedure and so on, followed by an Annex divided into 12 Chapters.

Part	Description
Chapter I - General Provisions	Fire protection, fire detection and fire extinction Includes detailed fire safety provisions for all ships and specific measures for passenger ships, cargo ships and tankers.
Chapter II-1 - Construction	The Chapter includes requirements for life-saving appliances and arrangements, including requirements for life boats, rescue boats and life jackets according to type of ship.
Chapter II-2	The regulations contain three parts dealing with packages, types of cargoes in bulk and liquid cargo. The chapter requires carriage of dangerous goods to be in compliance with the relevant provisions of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code).
Chapter III	The Chapter makes mandatory the International Safety Management (ISM) Code, which requires a safety management system to be established by the shipowner or any person who has assumed responsibility for the ship
Chapter IV	The Chapter includes structural requirements for bulk carriers over 150 metres in length.
Chapter VI - Carriage of Cargoes	Requirements covering machinery and electrical installations are designed to ensure that services which are essential for the safety of the ship, passengers and crew are maintained under various emergency conditions. Requirements for watertight integrity and bilge pumping arrangements for passenger ships are also laid down as well as stability requirements for both passenger and cargo ships.
Chapter VII - Carriage of dangerous goods	The Chapter incorporates the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS).
Chapter IX - Management for the Safe Operation of Ships	Includes regulations concerning the survey of the various types of ships and the issuing of documents signifying that the ship meets the requirements of the Convention. The Chapter also includes provisions for the control of ships in ports of other Contracting Governments.
Chapter XII - Additional safety measures for bulk carriers	The Chapter covers all types of cargo (except liquids and gases in bulk) "which, owing to their particular hazards to ships or persons on board, may require special precautions".

Exercise 6. Learn the following standard expressions.

1. The fire/ flooding is not under control yet.

2. Leave the engine room / superstructure / your stations / your cabins / ... immediately - close all openings.

3. Take lifejackets with you.

4. Take your emergency equipment with you according to muster list.

5. Stand by fire fighting stations / damage control stations.

6. Fire fighting stations/damage control stations standing by.

7. All crew members to assembly stations.

8. Follow escape routes shown.

9. Route to assembly station ... not clear.

10. Route to assembly station will be via ... .

11. Assemble on deck.

12. Assemble on ... on foredeck/afterdeck.

13. Assemble on ... deck on port side / starboard side.

14. Assemble on ... deck forward of ... / aft of ... .

15. Do not go to lifeboat / life raft stations before ordered.

16. Do not enter lifeboats /life rafts - the order to enter will be given from the bridge/by officers.

17. The following department(s)/ crew members will (temporarily) disembark for safety reasons.

Exercise 7. Translate the following abstracts from the Convention (SOLAS-74/78, 1992)