The ever increasing pressure on owners and operators of vessels in all sectors of the maritime industry to adhere to stricter environmental compliance standards is not going away anytime soon; in fact the scrutiny and intensity is only going to increase moving forward in the 21st century.
The United States Department of Justice has found the maritime community to be a significant source of income as a result of a history of egregious violations causing untold environmental damage. As a result of successful prosecution of several cruise ship carriers as well as commercial cargo carriers, these few bad apples have sullied the waters industry wide and driven the punitive climate overseen by EPA & DOJ in the US and port state authorities worldwide.
The unavoidable truth in the regulatory driven maritime industry is clear; owners & operators must give the appearance of being proactive in ensuring measures are taken to maintain the many layers of environmental compliance.
Global HSSE Solutions offers services to ensure 100% regulatory compliance through a spot check and audit system. In addition to auditing services, afloat training of key personnel, inclusive of record keeping measures, is offered. Through many years of experience in dealing with port state and US regulatory bodies a clear understanding of the measures necessary to avoid undue scrutiny is available.
In effort to illustrate a proactive climate, as an internationally qualified supervisor and assessor IAW STCW A-1:5 & B-1:5 and 46 CFR 10.309(a)(3)(i), a full suite of on site training is offered for afloat & Ashore personnel.
OWS Use / Operation
- Routine Testing Via IMO Valve
- Tag Out System / Log – Flanges / Valves –
- Overboard Operations Log
- Inventory / Operations Log of Misc. Pumping Equipment
- Feasibility Studies of Video Surveillance Equipment
- Training / Record Keeping of Equipment Use
- GPS Based Monitoring Equipment (White Box Technology)
MARPOL
- General Officer Crew / Training and familiarization
- IOPP with Supplement
- IAPP Provisions
- Discharge of Garbage At Sea Inclusive of Training on US CBP / Agriculture Enforcement
- Sewage / MSD
- Gray / Black Water Management In Conjunction With Port State Regulations
General Permitting
- Training & Understanding of Requirements
- Record Keeping
- Plan Development & Implementation
Oil Record Book Review / Training
The first and last line of defense in avoiding an accusations / allegations of wrong doing is to have a well documented crew training plan in place. In most instances it is ignorance of the requirements and not malicious intent as the root cause of suspicion or punitive action taken against the vessel. With a properly trained crew, a detailed record keeping system and documentation can stave off any potential governmental entities in the business of revenue generation on the backs of ship owners and operators.
In the event action is taken by the Department of Justice and a vessel owner is found guilty or enters a plea arrangement that includes the implementation of an environmental compliance plan, Captain Hight can assist in providing auditing, reporting and adherence to the plan. Having completed this work and successfully navigating through to program completion, Global HSSE Solutions expertise in this area of compliance is vital.