2 Safety precautions
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Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Circulars - Maritime Safety Committee - MSC/Circular.806 – Guidance on Safety Aspects of Ballast Water Exchange at Sea – (Adopted on 30 June 1997) - Annex - Guidance on Safety Aspects of Ballast Water Exchange at Sea - 2 Safety precautions

2 Safety precautions

  2.1 Ships engaged in strength water exchange at sea should be provided with procedures which account for the as applicable:

  • .1 avoidance of over and under pressurization of ballast tanks;

  • .2 free surface effects on stability and sloshing loads in tanks that may be slack at any one time;

  • .3 admissible weather conditions;

  • .4 weather routing in areas affected by cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes, or heavy icing conditions;

  • .5 maintenance of adequate intact stability in accordance with an approved trim and stability booklet;

  • .6 permissible seagoing strength limits of shear forces and bending moments in accordance with an approved loading manual;

  • .7 torsional forces, where relevant;

  • .8 minimum/maximum forward and aft draughts;

  • .9 wave induced hull vibration;

  • .10 documented records of ballasting and/or de-ballasting;

  • .11 contingency procedures for situations which may affect the ballast water exchange at sea, including deteriorating weather conditions, pump failure, loss of power, etc.;

  • .12 time to complete the ballast water exchange or an appropriate sequence thereof, taking into account that the ballast water may represent 50 % of the total cargo capacity for some ships; and

  • .13 monitoring and controlling the amount of ballast water.

  2.2 If the flow through method is used, caution should be exercised, as:

  • .1 air pipes are not designed for continuous ballast water overflow;

  • .2 current research indicates that pumping of at least three full volumes of the tank capacity could be needed to be effective, when filling clean water from the bottom and overflowing from the top; and

  • .3 certain watertight and weathertight closures (e.g. manholes) which may be opened during ballast exchange, should be re-secured;

  2.3 Ballast water exchange at sea should be avoided in freezing weather conditions. However, when it is deemed absolutely necessary, particular attention should be paid to the hazards associated with the freezing of overboard discharge arrangements, air pipes, ballast system valves together with their means of control, and the accretion of ice on deck.

  2.4 Some ships may need the fitting of a loading instrument to perform calculations of shear forces and bending moments induced by ballast water exchange at sea and to compare with the permissible strength limits.

  2.5 An evaluation should be made of the safety margins for stability and strength contained in allowable seagoing conditions specified in the approved trim and stability booklet and the loading manual, relevant to individual types of ships and loading conditions.

  2.6 The ballast water management plan should include a list of circumstances in which ballast water exchange should not be undertaken. These circumstances may result from critical situations of an exceptional nature or force majeure due to stress of weather or any other circumstances in which human life or safety of the ship is threatened.

Parent topic: Annex - Guidance on Safety Aspects of Ballast Water Exchange at Sea
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