New Regulations for Towing and Anchor-Handling Vessels: The Future is Now

摘要

At ITS 2010 Vancouver, Bureau Veritas (BV) presented the first draft of the Safety Guidelines for Design, Construction & Operation of Tugs, which was developed in co-operation with Lloyd's Register of Shipping (LR) and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) under the umbrella of the SafeTug Joint Industry Project (JIP). Direct involvement of major stakeholders in the towing industry has proven to be vital to the successful realisation of the project. Following a period of industry feedback and further technical development, the draft guidelines have been revised and extended by BV in order to arrive at a definitive document. Key items which have been further developed include towing stability, towing equipment, escort performance simulation and the operational interaction between the tug and the assisted ship. BV is now in the process of implementing the guidelines into the classification process for tugs. In line with the recent technological and regulatory developments with regard to anchor-handling, BV has also redeveloped the classification rules for anchor-handling vessels, primarily focusing on intact stability during anchor-handling, and a holistic approach towards the assessment of anchor-handling equipment in a similar way as has been applied to tugs. The rules are intended to improve operational safety and reliability by providing detailed guidance for taking into account the effect of the wire tension on the stability of anchor-handling tugs and the deck equipment. Due to the comprehensive set-up, the rules support and encourage the installation of reliable on-board decision support systems for the crew. With the introduction of the new regulatory framework, BV is setting future-proof standards for tugs and anchor-handling vessels with regard to safety and reliability, taking into account innovative design solutions proposed by the industry.