CREATION AND SUPERVISION OF ERS Database

General

Scope

The present TNC covers the preparation of the ERS database by LPOs. This database is requested to allow the Emergency Response Service contracted for any ship to be effective.

The ships contracted with ERS are granted with one of the additional class notations described in Recognised Organisation (RO) Rules NR467, Pt A, Ch 1, Sec 2.

The present TNC address only the scope of the additional class notation ERS-S.

The present TNC does not address in detail the commercial issues of the Emergency Response Service.

Global process

The main sequences of the Emergency Response Service for a New Construction ship are detailed below:

Initial request

Shipowner intention for ERS is materialized by two possible ways:

• by the additional class notation in the Request for Classification (RFC),

• by requesting the ERS (through the Recognised Organisation (RO) connecting District), before the vessel delivery

In both cases, specific Guide A points / fees are included in the Recognised Organisation (RO) offer.

The ERS-S notation must remain in brackets ([ERS-S]), as long as the service is not active. Brackets will be removed (ERS-S) once the ERS service is fully effective in accordance with Recognised Organisation (RO) NR 556.

Confirmation

Three months before the date of delivery, the Shipowner is requested to confirm the initial request before the ERS process itself is launched. This confirmation is normall obtained by the CD.

As an evidence of this confirmation, a dedicated ERS contract is issued by HO-DA for signature by the Shipowner (see Section 2).

Launching of ERS process

Two months before the delivery date, DA-HO notify the LPO in charge of the ship about the need to prepare locally a dedicated ERS database.

In case the ship design review has been made by several LPOs, the LPO in charge is notified and is responsible for the ERS database.

Creation and distribution of the ERS database

The LPO creates a specific ERS database, following the instructions of the present TNC. The as-built drawings are used as far as possible, to secure the correctness of the ERS database.

One month at maximum is dedicated to the creation of this ERS database.

After completion, the ERS database is sent to DA-ERS mail box (2 files: MARS and VeriSTAR Stability). DA-ERS team will perform random additional checks to ensure correctness and accuracy of the ERS database.

The same two files must be stored in VPM ship file, in the «Documents» tab, under private status.

In-service ERS

Dedicated technical ERS teams in HO are available 24/24 and 7/7 to assist the owner as per the ERS contract.

This assistance is given, in particular, by performing calculations supported by the dedicated ERS database prepared before delivery of the ship.

ERS CONTRACT

General

This Section is purely informative regarding the overall ERS process and does not consist in any kind of instruction for LPOs.

Contractual content

General

The Emergency Response Service (ERS) is contracted to Recognised Organisation (RO) M&O by the Shipowner, to get technical support as described in 2.2.2 in case of casualty affecting the structural integrity or the stability (collision, grounding...).

Contractual obligations

The contractual obligations are described in the ERS contract. A sample of such contract is attached in Annex 1.

They are relating to the delivery of calculations results and recommendations, in a restricted but not defined time, by an ERS team on-duty in Head Office.

These calculations results and recommendations address:

• ship equilibrium after damage : drafts, list, hydrostatic particulars (KM, GM, LCF, LCB),

• damage stability results: GZ curve, deck immersion,

• admissible hull girder bending moments and shear forces,

• hull girder section moduli in damaged conditions,

• possible oil outflow, depending on the size and location of the hull damage (for ERS contracts older tan contract 95/004),

• check of the damage system

The above analysis are to be performed within following Rule scope (calculation method, evaluation criteria):

However, it might be also requested to take into consideration other criteria, eventually more stringent:

• required stability criteria in case of navigation for a prolonged period to a place of refuge,

• propeller immersion, minimum forward draft, if the ship is sailing to a harbour

For ships not falling under a regulatory scope requesting damage stability, or subject to probabilistic stability only, minimum criteria will have to be defined.

Possible additional requests

Such additional requests may result from Recognised Organisation (RO) M&O having ship drawings and beeing considered competent and experienced so as to process them.

Typical examples of possible additional requests are given below:

• estimation of residual strength of damaged primary supporting members, on basis of local strength calculations,

• assessment of operational sequences for re-floating after grounding, for oil transfer, or for ship lightening with support of other ships,

• estimation of ground reaction forces in case of grounding,

• estimation of hull girder wave bending moment derived from local wave conditions.

ERS STABILITY MODEL

Creation of the ERS stability model

General

The creation of an ERS ship’s model for stability has to meet ERS standards and requirements of accuracy:

1. The whole ship must be described very precisely, as explained in the document “Class vs ERS.pdf” (Annex 2) showing the explicit difference between Classification and ERS needs.

2. The documents/plans to be used for the ship’s definition are :

   • Lines plan (or off-set tables)

   • General arrangement plan

   • Capacity plan

   • Midship section

   • Profile and decks

   • Shell expansion

   • Aft part structure

   • Engine room structure

   • Cargo holds structure

   • Fore part structure

   • Rudder construction plan

   • Loading manual and/or trim and stability manual (including longitudinal strength calculation)

   • Longitudinal distribution of lightship weight

   • Permissible still-water bending moments and shear forces

   • Coordinates (X, Y, Z) of all openings (doors, air pipes, ventilators, hatches,...) located on exposed deck with indication of their means of closing (usually shown of Free-Board Plan).

«VeriSTAR Stability» software

The specific instructions to create an ERS model in “VeriSTAR Stability” software are given in the attached document “Instructions for the creation of an ERS database on VRS_rev4.pdf” (Annex 3).

In case the stability database has been created with NAPA, the conversion to VeriSTAR Stability format is necessary, by using the conversion tool NAPSTAR developed by HO, and the associated user guide.

Supervision of the ERS stability model

General

All the data to be validated within the scope of the supervision of an ERS database have to be checked and compared with the data provided on the reference documents which where used for the creation of the database (listed in 2.1.1).

“VeriSTAR Stability”

The data to be validated within the scope of the supervision of an ERS model created in “VeriSTAR Stability” software has to :

1. Meet the requirements given in the attached document “Instructions for the creation of an ERS database on VRS_rev4.pdf” (Annex 3).

2. Be checked as described in the attached document “Instructions for the supervision of an ERS database on VRS_rev0.pdf” (Annex 4).

ERS Structure databAse - Mars

General

The ERS Structure database consists of a specific MARS database.

Standard for ERS Mars database

The ERS Mars database shall contain only the Midship Section according to the "As built" plan. The most representative section shall only be represented, even if this is not amidships.

In Basic ship data, "Description (job)" should be the ERS contract number "ERS XX/XXX" provided by HO-DA.

The ERS Mars file name should be at the following format: "RORegNo_midship"

Supervision of the ERS Mars database

The supervision of the ERS Mars database must be formally performed by the LPO in charge, and formally evidenced.