IMO SUB-COMMITTEE ON BULK LIQUIDS AND GASES 9th session ...

INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION
E
IMO
SUB-COMMITTEE ON BULK LIQUIDS
AND GASES
9th session
Agenda item 4
BLG 9/4
28 January 2005
Original: ENGLISH
REQUIREMENTS FOR PROTECTION OF PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN THE
TRANSPORT OF CARGOES CONTAINING TOXIC SUBSTANCES
IN ALL TYPES OF TANKERS
Guidance on shipboard occupational health and safety programmes
Note by the Secretariat
SUMMARY
Executive summary: This document reports on the decisions of BLG 8, FP 48, STW 35
COMSAR 8, DE 47, FSI 12, SLF 47, DSC 9 and MSC 79 on matters
related to the draft Guidance on the basic elements for a shipboard
occupational health and safety programme.
Action to be taken: Paragraph 7
Related documents: BLG 8/18, FP 48/19, STW 35/19, COMSAR 8/18, DE 47/25,
FSI 12/22, SLF 47/17, DSC 9/15 and MSC 79/23
Background
1 The Sub-Committee, at its eighth session, having considered the draft Guidelines on the
basic elements of a shipboard occupational health and safety programme (BLG 8/WP.4), agreed
that the draft Guidelines addressed a wide range of issues that were outside the scope of the
Sub-Committee (e.g. training, ship safety management, auditing of shipboard procedures, fatigue,
hazard identification, equipment, etc.) and instructed the Secretariat, subject to MSC’s approval,
to forward document BLG 8/WP.4 to the COMSAR, DE, FP, FSI, SLF and
STW Sub-Committees for consideration so that they could comment or make proposals, as
appropriate.
Outcome of FP 48 COMSAR 8, DE 47, SLF 47 and DSC 9
2 In considering the draft Guidelines on the basic elements of a shipboard occupational
health and safety programme prepared by BLG 8 (BLG 8/WP.4), FP 48 COMSAR 8, DE 47,
SLF 47 and DSC 9 agreed that no modifications to the draft Guidelines were necessary for the
areas under their respective purview.
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BLG 9/4 - 2 -
Outcome of STW 35
3 STW 35, after having received the report of the working group instructed to considered
the draft Guidelines, agreed that the draft Guidelines would be useful to promote a safety culture
on board ship and noted that currently there are no mandatory requirements for such information
relating to MARPOL Annex I type cargoes and marine fuel oils on safety data sheets.
4 STW 35, recognizing the importance of seafarers having clear, concise and accurate
information on the health effects of toxic substances carried on board oil tankers, endorsed the
decision of BLG 8, subject to the approval of the Committees, to extend the work under this item
to include the development of mandatory requirements for safety data sheets for the carriage of
toxic liquids.
Outcome of FSI 12
5 FSI 12, having considered the draft Guidelines (FSI 12/21/1), expressed its full support to
the course of action proposed by BLG 8 and noted the existence of a potential link between the
ISM Code and the draft Guidelines to be further considered. In this regard, FSI 12 also
recommended that the DSC Sub-Committee be associated with this exercise (see paragraph 3).
Outcome of MSC 79
6 MSC 79 agreed that the draft Guidelines on the basic elements of a shipboard
occupational health and safety programme (BLG 8/WP.4) should be considered by the Joint
MSC/MEPC Working Group on the Human Element at its next session to be held at MEPC 53.
Action requested of the Sub-Committee
7 The Sub-Committee is invited to considered the above information and to take action as
deemed appropriate.
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