newsletter march 2011 - issue 01
DESCRIPTION
To celebrate our 10 year anniversary we dedicate this newsletter to our past activities and future projectsTRANSCRIPT
Issue 1 l 1
A Birthday Message
2011 is a milestone for regs4ships as we celebrate ten years in business.
We started life in 2001 as Marine Enforcement Ltd. Founded by former MCA
employees, the Company continues to grow rapidly and now incorporates
Marine Enforcement and regs4yachts as trading names for regs4ships. The
company employs 24 staff and has its headquarters in Southampton, UK.
We provide an extensive range of products and services to support the maritime
industry . These include digital maritime regulations, customised data products,
training, inspections, audits and support for maritime businesses of all sizes. It
has been our goal to stay up to date with new regulations and technologies to
benefit the industry.
To celebrate our ten year anniversary this newsletter is dedicated to our past
activities and future projects. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all
of our clients for helping to make regs4ships a world leader.
Issue 1
March 2011
Digital Regulations P.2
Customised fleet solutions P.3
Consultancy P.4
Training P.5
Bespoke Training P.6
Green Award Partnership P.7
Ten Year Anniversary
Issue 1 l 2
New Panama Product
Panama Today
The Panamanian flag is making massive
improvements, with the ambition of entering the
Paris MOU white list. It has already seen a return
on the hard work undertaken to date to drive
down detention rates, returning to the grey list in
2010, after its slip in 2008 to the black list.
Attaining a detention rate of 3.18% for 11 months
of 2010 (well below the required 4.5%) the
Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) seems well on
the way to achieving its goal.
This change of tactics has seen their position
maintained under the Tokyo MOU and a real
chance that they will attain certification under
the United States Coast Guard’s ‘QualShip’
initiative, with the detention rate just 0.97%
away from qualifying.
This improvement is built on the back of
increased inspections and the sometimes
unpopular measures of zero tolerance with
repeat detainees who match the profile of
problem vessels.
Compliance
This improvement sits well with the regs4ships
products, a combination of documents carried for
mandatory compliance with the flag of registry
and those best practice guides written to impart
the collective knowledge of the maritime
industry.
The creation of a regulatory product for vessels
belonging to the Panama Flag Registry has long
been an objective of regs4ships. We recognised
that it has consistently maintained its status as
the largest flag of registration, currently
possessing a massive 22.6% of the world fleet by
DWT, far ahead of its nearest competitors
Liberia 11.1%, the Marshall Islands 6.1% and
Hong Kong 5.8%. All of which are already
provided for with Digital Maritime Regulation
products.
This primary position is reflected by the number
of ships registered too. Panama has 8,100
vessels of 100 GT and above. The United States
comes a close second with 6,546 ships (another
flag state already provided for with a Digital
Maritime Regulation product). However the
interesting difference between these two flag
registries is that the Panamanian fleet is not
augmented by the coastal/inland cabotage
services employed in the United States.
Panama Shipping Regulations
The product, which will be released at the end
of Q1 2011, will include those documents that
are carriage requirements on board a Panama
registered vessels. These include:
Panamanian Merchant Marine Circulars.
IMO Conventions SOLAS/MARPOL/STWC/
COLREGS.
And many more International Conventions,
Codes and Resolutions.
It will also include further flag laws, resolutions
and circulars from the Panama Maritime
Authority where available in the English
language.
A Strong Future
We believe that in an industry that relies so
heavily on quality standards every assistance
available to the office, bridge or engineering
team is warranted. The confidence of operating
to international standards can only help the
safe, efficient and effective operation of a
successful shipping company.
If you are interested in receiving a free trial of
the Panama Shipping Regulations upon their
completion then please contact
Tom Westwood
Technical Editor
Our regs4ships professionals take Flag State Regulations, IMO and ILO Conventions, EU Regulations and Directives, then present them in an up-to-date and searchable format. Available on subscription, online
and/or on disk, regs4ships digital
maritime regulations are supported
by a Statement of Compliance for
each Flag.
Product Range
Antigua & Barbuda
Bahamas
Bermuda
Cayman Islands
Cyprus
Gibraltar
Hong Kong
Isle of Man
Liberia
Malta
Marshall Islands
Singapore
UK
USA
Please contact [email protected] for your free trial.
Digital Flag
Regulations
Issue 1 l 3
In the shipping industry there has long been a need for an efficient information management system as documents are constantly shared between head office and vessels.
The main problem is that vessels are remote in terms of location and time zone which makes the traditional communication with the offices unreliable and expensive.
regs4ships has provided a solution that supports a more effective messaging system to communicate and record management actions.
The product is a web based application that provides a collaborative working environment using Microsoft SharePoint. It focuses on the document collections and information shared by the company and fleet. The web-based nature of SharePoint provides highly flexible access while avoiding the duplication of shipboard data typical with the email information exchange.
The regs4ships solution uses a "master" SharePoint server operated by the office which contains the core company information while each ship has its own "replica" server containing a dedicated site for ship specific information. The replica servers also contain a copy of any company-level information the management see fit to make available.
Crew use the service locally instead of connecting to the master site over expensive satellite links. Site content between servers is synchronized using third party replication software.
The synchronisation or 'replication' process only transfers those parts of a document which have changed. Combined with compression and high-security encryption, file transfers through satellite are minimized and there is substantially less traffic . On a daily schedule, changes for the company site are collated, compressed and encrypted as a single amendment file to be sent to each ship in the fleet. Once the information is on board the ship it is continuously available to the crew, even when the satellite links are offline. The process works in the opposite direction with changes and information being replicated back to the master server. This allows the company to collate information from an entire fleet of vessels in a single location.
Implementation of this solution in the
internet disconnected environment of ships
at sea has been challenging. In particular the
absence of an ‘always-on’ connection
prevents interrogation of the daily
synchronisation status of the ship server
whilst the lack of control over amendment
size is a fundamental drawback when data
transfer costs are of paramount importance
to the ship operator. Our IT team has
successfully developed and implemented
bespoke software applications to overcome
these problems. They work with the ship-
board communication systems to tailor the
replication software to meet the
requirements of each client.
Our experts would be happy to discuss your
requirements. For more information please
contact [email protected]
“In the almost year-long experience
with regs4ships’ system being placed
aboard the APLM fleet there has been a
reduction of more than 17% in injury/
accident incidents aboard our ships;
directly attributable to the involvement
of whole crew in the Safety Process.
The SQEMS has become the primary
source for training, discussion, and
action in risk assessment and
management.” (Captain Bill Mahoney,
Director SQEMS at APL Maritime )
From constant exchange To customised collaborative of emails working environment
Customised Fleet Solutions
Issue 1 l 4
MEL—Marine Enforcement
Ten years ago in January I left the MCA, together with my colleagues Mick Caulkin and Richard Eastham. We started Marine Enforcement in a spare room in Mick’s house. We knew that there would be a market for our specialist, yet diverse skills and experience and we waited for the phone to ring.
Marine Enforcement is now part of regs4ships and our 24 staff occupy two offices in Southampton. We have assisted a wide range of ports and harbour authorities, from small leisure facilities to the largest commercial ports. Our expertise and experience is recognized by the MCA for whom we provide Port Marine Safety Code training. We have been engaged on a wide range of projects that are often challenging and encompass all aspects of marine operations. Our UK-wide experience with all sizes and types of harbours has given us a unique understanding of the needs of our customers.
One of the most challenging briefs I have had is as consultant Harbour Master at Hayle in Cornwall. The port of Hayle has fallen into disrepair and is due to be redeveloped. Usually my role is to work with the Harbour Master, this time I am the Harbour Master and the last ten years have prepared me well.
In the future the “Big Society” may well become an issue for some harbour authorities, especially trust and municipal ports. Those structured in such way that the local community is already embraced and involved may already meet most of the requirements of the Localism Bill. It’s too early to say, but I suspect some “re-badging” and a change of emphasis may be all that is required.
I am proud of our progress and our continued growth and I recognise our success is due to the calibre and commitment of all my colleagues. I hope the phone continues to ring.
Mark Capon
Managing Director
Port Consultancy
Harbour Authority Strategic and
Operational Reviews
Port Marine Safety Code
Designated Person
Marine Safety Management
System
Risk Assessment
Casualty Investigations
Enforcement and Prosecution
Consultation Exercises
Bylaws and Directions
Harbour dues and changes
Training
“The most satisfying times for me
have been assisting fellow
professionals with some difficult
issues and finding practical and
viable solutions.” Mark Capon
Yacht Consultancy
Flag State Surveyor for the Marshall Islands, Cook Islands and St Kitts & Nevis
Provider of ISM, ISPS and Mini-ISM products
Large Yacht Consultancy
Surveys
Vessel Security Assessment
DPA & CSO Services
Company & Yacht ISM systems
New Build Projects
Accident Investigations
Expert Witness
Training
regs4yachts
DIGITAL REGULATIONS
Regs4yachts digital regulation product is approved by the heading yacht registers an electronic equivalence to the carriage of nautical publications.
Fully searchable and consolidated SOLAS, MARPOL and STCW are available as optional extras. Subscription to regs4yachts will include unlimited access to the regs4yachts internet site which is regularly updated and a disk version which is renewed every 2 months to ensure continuing compliance with the requirements for the carriage of nautical publications.
Please contact [email protected] for your free trial.
Consultancy
Issue 1 l 5
MCA recognises Designated Person Ashore course. The regs4ships training course ‘ISM Code Designated Person’ has been given accreditation by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). The course, developed by regs4ships in conjunction with Warsash Maritime Academy, was designed to fully meet the requirements of IMO MSC-MEPC.7/Cir. 6 Guidance on the Qualifications, Training and Experience Necessary for Undertaking the Role of The Designated Person.
The course is aimed at newly-promoted, deputy, alternate DPAs and current DP role-holders under the requirements for updating through Continued Professional Development, as well as shore and sea staff requiring knowledge of the responsibilities, problems and potential liabilities involved with the DP role.
Subjects covered by the course include: ISM refresher, human factors in ISM, audit requirements and techniques, DPA-requirements and responsibilities, KPIs and performance management, legal issues, risk assessment and management of change and no-change and ends with a management review exercise.
Simon Holford, Principal Lecturer at Warsash, specialising in maritime safety and resource management comments: “regs4ships are very active in ISM work and consultancy and could see the gap for this training. Mick Caulkin and myself co-wrote the course and our collective skills fitted together nicely. The DPA course has been running very successfully for a year now. About 100 students so far have attended and the feedback has been very positive and forward bookings are strong”.
Having this MCA Accreditation for the training provides our customers with the quality assurance that the course content is in accordance with international accepted standards.
To book your place for this course please visit the Warshash Academy website: www.warsashacademy.co.uk.
“Our main objectives are to make sure that
all those who manage and inspect ships
know the many MARPOL requirements,
including the January 2011 changes to the Oil
Record book, understand what to examine on
an Oil Water Separator and will be able to
reduce the risk of deficiencies, detentions,
fines or other enforcement sanctions” Mick
Caulkin
MARPOL Excellence regs4ships introduces new course.
The experts at regs4ships have developed a new course which focuses on environmental protection record keeping and use of the Oily Water Separator. It includes workshops on filling in an ORB correctly (including the new January 2011 changes) and especially concentrates on the operation and maintenance of Oily Water Separator.
Prosecuting authorities have identified the absence of a systematic approach to identifying and managing compliance with environmental requirements as a common failure.
Regs4ships has developed a new MARPOL course based upon the knowledge of our experienced Port State Control Inspectors and Enforcement Officers, as well as the feedback received from students attending ISM, Audit and DPA courses. Following the USCG and ICC-ISF guidelines, the course is intended to provide guidance on ensuring that vessel operations minimise any adverse effects on the environment.
The “MARPOL Excellence” training has been designed to benefit all senior sea staff and in particular shore managers, auditors, superintendents, inspectors and DPAs. The course includes sessions on completing and checking ORBs correctly and a session unveiling the secrets of Oily Water Separators utilising a model of the equipment. Our core trainers delivering the course are Mick Caulkin, Training and Publications Director and Nick Gladwell, Consultancy Director.
Training
MARPOL Courses Available
Fort Lauderdale, USA – 18 March 2011
London, UK - 1 April 2011
Southampton, UK – 5 April 2011
Please contact [email protected] for further details.
Regs4ships is also able to provide custom courses including your company’s specific equipment and procedures. Our expert trainers would be happy to discuss your requirements. For more information please contact [email protected]
Issue 1 l 6
Bespoke Training in 2010
Over the years regs4ships have delivered a wide range of training, from half-day refresher courses to longer, formal and more structured classes.
From our busy training and audit activities schedule we know that errors made over time are bound to become part of work practice. These practices should not be ignored and companies need to protect themselves by proving that their shore and sea staff have attended relevant training and are in a program of Continuous Professional Development (CPD).
In 2010 we have had great success hosting bespoke training courses for a number of major maritime organisations. The focus of these courses covered a wide range of topics including equipment and procedures specific to the customer’s organisation.
Looking forward in 2011 we will continue to develop customised training for the maritime industry taking into consideration each company’s mission, objectives and needs. Each course included in our Training Plan can be tailored to specific customer requirements.
For further information please contact [email protected].
regs4ships in partnership with Warsash Maritime Academy
In 2006 regs4ships and Warsash Maritime Academy formed a partnership to deliver a range of specialist training.
We are experienced mariners and trainers and our knowledge of Flag State regulations and the ISM Code and ISO Standards provide a credible background for most maritime training requirements. We considered that students should have the advantage of both experienced and informed trainers as well as state-of-the-art facilities.
Bespoke Training in 2010
‘ISM Familiarisation’ to the entire senior
management team of a large UK based cruise ship operator, outlining the company responsibilities under the 2007 “three pack” IMO Circulars.
3 day short courses to the sea staff and shore management of Sealion shipping, covering ISM, ISPS and PSC. Complying with the company’s own procedures, these courses include workshops and team-based training sessions.
The fifth course in a series of ISM and ISPS Audit training for the Ship Inspectors of the Liberian Flag was delivered in Piraeus to 20 inspectors. At the customer’s request a module on Accident Investigation was included in this course.
Safety and Quality Excellence Training for Wilhelmsen delivered by Mick Caulkin to Wilhelmsen HSEQ management in Kuala Lumpur.
Courses delivered at Warsash
ISM Code Internal Auditor—course designed to meet the requirements of ISM code and prepare attendees for all the stages of an audit.
Maritime Auditor / Lead Auditor—also delivered through Marine Maritime Academy - this course is aimed at practising and potential auditors of Maritime Management Systems who address safety, pollution prevention and where appropriate, service quality.
Yacht Master Business & Law—this
course covers subjects including legal
framework, legal management and
contracts administration.
Company Security Officer-ISPS Code
—this course will cover security both
onboard and the interface between
ship, operating company and port
facility.
ISM Code Designated Person
regs4ships was a logical place to go for
the development of a new training
package which is customised to our
internal procedures. The training starts
our Excellence campaign, update skills,
stimulate debate and satisfy key
business targets.”
(Matt Spencer, HSEQ Manager
Wilhelmsen UK)
regs4ships collaborating with Safety at Sea International magazine
For over 40 years, Safety at Sea International has established a reputation as the only global title covering marine safety, keeping its readers up-to-date with developments in legislation, safety standards, technical and market developments, ongoing research projects, conference and exhibition reports and the latest equipment and services.
Starting later in 2011, regs4ships will contribute expert content covering regulation, safety training and best practice to Safety at Sea International magazine on an ongoing basis.
Issue 1 l 7
Professional Development
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bas oppeto commoveo vereor. regs4ships starts the new year joining Green Award Foundation
regs4ships
Fletchwood House
Quayside Road
Southampton, UK
SO18 1DP
t: +44 (0)23 8098 8631
f: +44 (0)23 8022 8029
www.regs4ships.com
regs4ships is proud to announce a new partnership with the Green Award Foundation, a professional platform that supports the maritime community in achieving improved quality and sustainability.
regs4ships, in Southampton, UK, joins the group of Green Award incentive providers in order to support the foundation aims of reducing the negative impact the shipping industry has on the environment.
“Anyone involved in our industry needs to feel the moral obligation to develop and support a strong safety culture. The Green Award Foundation has successfully contributed to this mission. We are looking forward to help them build on the remarkable achievements they have made so far.” said Captain Richard Eastham, Technical Director at regs4ships .
The scheme provides accreditation and benefits for all oil tankers and dry bulk carriers that can provide proof of a high standard of environmental protection record keeping. For each ship applying for certification, the assessment will focus on crew, operational, environmental and managerial elements and will be carried out by the Bureau Green Award executive party.
Since our formation in 2001, the whole ethos of the company has been focused around three key elements: Safety, Security, Compliance. This partnership represents the next step in our process of continuous improvement.
Participating in the Green Award scheme acts as a symbol of our fundamental understanding that an awareness of ‘green’ issues allows organisations to adapt working practices to protect the environment and assures a sustainable and secure business. We believe that this partnership will also provide good value to our customers. We offer all Green Award certificate holders a 10% discount on all regs4ships products and services including Digital Maritime Regulations, Training and Consultancy.
Welcoming the collaboration, Jan Fransen, Managing Director at Green Award Foundation said:
“The scope of work carried out by regs4ships fits very well with the mission and ambition of the Foundation, which is the improvement of quality in shipping and ultimately to protect the marine environment. Indirectly regs4ships contributes to the Foundation’s three main principles of safety, quality and environment. We look forward to a long lasting partnership.”
Contact us
Find the most appropriate member of
staff to assist you:
Zena Parkin
Customer Services Manager
David Clayden
Sales Consultant
Mick Caulkin
Training and Publication Director
Jim Milne
Senior IT Project Officer [email protected]
Mark Robinson
Senior Surveyor
General emails: