Will be proposing creation of a remote ship survey guideline at the 104th Session of the IMO Maritime Safety Committee

Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOON, Seong-Hyeok as the Minister) has announced that it will be attending the 104th Session of the IMO* Maritime Safety Committee (MSC**), which will be held online from October 4 to 8 (Monday to Friday), with the intention of proposing the development of a guideline for the remote survey of ships. The proposed guideline would, in the unavoidable event that a surveyor cannot board a ship, enable the remote survey of a ship through video conferencing, videos, and photos.

* International Maritime Organization: a UN-affiliated body that expedites the enactment, amendment, and/or implementation of international norms for maritime safety and marine environmental protection (174 member states, 3 associate members)

** IMO Maritime Safety Committee: a council of the IMO that is responsible for the enactment and amendment of international conventions on maritime safety (e.g. designing and construction of ships, navigational aids, ship navigation, maritime search and rescue, training and certification of seafarers)

As a rule, ship surveys are to be conducted on-site. However, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in restricted access to ships by surveyors, based on which the Republic of Korea has been following an independently-developed guideline on remote ship survey since March 2020 to prevent shipping losses due to the delay of ship surveys (guideline comprised of eight survey categories, such as special survey of ship equipment repairs). Until now, however, remote surveys could be conducted only on a limited basis due to the absence of an international standard for remote surveys.

It is given this state of affairs that the Republic of Korea will be emphasizing the need to develop a guideline that is on par with international standards at the 104th Session.
Also to be discussed at the MSC session is the enactment and amendment of international conventions, such as a safety standard for ventilation devices of totally-enclosed lifeboats,* plan for improving the safety of lifting devices used by harbor pilots, and enactment of the MASS Code for the purpose of introducing MASS.**

* Installing blocking devices on vents to prevent the inflow of seawater, achieving a ventilation rate of at least 5m3/h per person with all openings closed except vents while the lifeboat is moored at the dock, etc.

** Maritime Autonomous Surface Ship: a ship that can be navigated with a bare minimum of crew members thanks to a system comprised of ICT sensors and smart technologies that minimizes the need for manual operation

This year’s MSC will be attended by the MOF, Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Permanent Mission to the International Maritime Organization, and various other institutions that specialize in maritime safety, including: Mokpo National Maritime University, Korea Center for International Maritime Safety Cooperation (KMC), Korea Maritime Transportation Safety Authority (KOMSA), Korea Maritime Institute (KMI), Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering (KRISO), Korea Institute of Maritime and Fisheries Technology (KIMFT), Korea Marine Equipment Research Institute (KOMERI), and Korean Register (KR).

Director-General MYUNG, Roh-Hun of the MOF’s Maritime Safety Policy Bureau said, “Considering the escalation of the COVID-19 pandemic and recent technological advancements, we need to diversify our ship survey methods. We will continue to do our best to ensure the safety of ships and minimize the burden of shipping companies.”