8.2 Gas-related training
Clasification Society 2024 - Version 9.40
Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Resolutions - Maritime Safety Committee - Resolution MSC.285(86) – Interim Guidelines on Safety for Natural Gas-Fuelled Engine Installations in Ships – (Adopted on 1 June 2009) - Annex – Interim Guidelines on Safety for Natural Gas-fuelled Engine Installations in Ships - Chapter 8 – Operational and Training Requirements - 8.2 Gas-related training

8.2 Gas-related training

8.2.1 Training in general

 The training on gas-fuelled ships is divided into the following categories:

  • .1 category A: Basic training for the basic safety crew;

  • .2 category B: Supplementary training for deck officers; and

  • .3 category C: Supplementary training for engineer officers.

  8.2.1.1 Category A training

  • .1 The goal of the category A training should provide the basic safety crew with a basic understanding of the gas in question as a fuel, the technical properties of liquid and compressed gas, explosion limits, ignition sources, risk reducing and consequence reducing measures, and the rules and procedures that must be followed during normal operation and in emergency situations.

  • .2 The general basic training required for the basic safety crew is based on the assumption that the crew does not have any prior knowledge of gas, gas engines and gas systems. The instructors should include one or more of the suppliers of the technical gas equipment or gas systems, alternatively other specialists with in-depth knowledge of the gas in question and the technical gas systems that are installed on board.

  • .3 The training should consist of both theoretical and practical exercises that involve gas and the relevant systems, as well as personal protection while handling liquid and compressed gas. Practical extinguishing of gas fires should form part of the training, and should take place at an approved safety centre.

  8.2.1.2 Categories B and C training

  • .1 Deck and engineer officers should have gas training beyond the general basic training. Category B and category C training should be divided technically between deck and engineer officers. The company's training manager and the master should determine what comes under deck operations and what comes under engineering.

  • .2 Those ordinary crew members who are to participate in the actual bunkering work, as well as gas purging, or are to perform work on gas engines or gas installations, etc., should participate in all or parts of the training for category B/C. The company and the master are responsible for arranging such training based on an evaluation of the concerned crew member's job instructions/area of responsibility on board.

  • .3 The instructors used for such supplementary training should be the same as outlined for category A.

  • .4 All gas-related systems on board should be reviewed. The ships maintenance manual, gas supply system manual and manual for electrical equipment in explosion hazardous spaces and zones should be used as a basis for this part of the training.

  • .5 This regulation should be regularly reviewed by the company and onboard senior management team as part of the SMS system. Risk analysis should be emphasized, and any risk analysis and sub-analyses performed should be available to course participants during training.

  • .6 If the ship's own crew will be performing technical maintenance of gas equipment, the training for this type of work should be documented.

  • .7 The master and the chief engineer officer should give the basic safety crew on board their final clearance prior to the entry into service of the ship. The clearance document should only apply to gas-related training, and it should be signed by both the master/chief engineer officer and the course participant. The clearance document for gas-related training may be integrated in the ships general training programme, but it should be clearly evident what is regarded as gas-related training and what is regarded as other training.

  • .8 The training requirements related to the gas system should be evaluated in the same manner as other training requirements on board at least once a year. The training plan should be evaluated at regular intervals.


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