I HORIZONS - cdlive.lr.org

HORIZONSI

TECHNICAL NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR THE MARINE INDUSTRY MARCH 2006 Issue 15

On April 1, 2006, the common

structural Rules for tankers

and bulk carriers will come

into force. The new Rules

are the product of much time

and effort on behalf of the

classification societies involved

and the industry as a whole,

and can truly be said to be the

result of a collective industry

effort to improve the safety

of ships.

Although ‘hardware’ remains a

crucial constituent element of

shipping operations, we can’t

lose sight of the fact that the

human element remains of

paramount importance. Safe

ships are the combined result of

high-quality construction and

materials and the well-trained

crews who perform the

necessary maintenance and

operate the ship on a day-to-

day basis.

Alan Gavin

Marine Director

IN THIS ISSUE

2 Recent deliveries to Lloyd’s Register class

4 Playing by the commonstructural Rules

7 Learning from the SeaEmpress

8 China gears up for gas

10 Raising the alarm

12 On the horizon – thelatest news

12 Exhibitions and technical papers

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Horizons150206.qxd 17/2/06 2:42 pm Page 1

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HORIZONS March 20062

RECENT DELIVERIES TO LLOYD’S REGISTER CLASS

Bulk carriers

PREM PRANSHU July, 2005

ALAM PENTING July, 2005

PODHALE July, 2005

ALAM PESONA September, 2005

GOLDEN GUNN September, 2005

WARMIA October, 2005

ALAM PINTAR October, 2005

Chemical/oil products tankers

BRITISH

COURTESY July, 2005

BRITISH SERENITY July, 2005

ACADIAN July, 2005

ANATOLIA SKY July, 2005

POLITISA LADY July, 2005

WESTERN

ARCTIC August, 2005

MAERSK BERING August, 2005

WESTERN

ANTARCTIC August, 2005

ANATOLIA STAR August, 2005

MARKOS I September, 2005

MAERSK BRISTOL October, 2005

GREAT EASTERN October, 2005

NEW ENGLAND November, 2005

ALIOS TRITON November, 2005

WESTERN

ICELANDIC November, 2005

MAERSK BELFAST November, 2005

LOUKAS I December, 2005

Container ships

HATSU SHINE September, 2005

CP KANHA October, 2005

Crude oil tankers

MAERSK

PROGRESS August, 2005

RECOLETA August, 2005

SANKO

BLOSSOM September, 2005

BRITISH ROBIN September, 2005

SANKO BREEZE October, 2005

SOUTH SEA October, 2005

BRITISH CYGNET November, 2005

MATTERHORN

SPIRIT November, 2005

MAERSK PEARL December, 2005

The last six months of

2005 saw a considerable

number of ship types

delivered to Lloyd's

Register class. This table

details these vessels, by

type, name and date

of delivery.


TorgovyBridge

Carnival Liberty

March 2006 HORIZONS 3

S

Fishing vessels

VICTORIA

MXENGE October, 2005

General cargo ships

SAMPOGRACHT July, 2005

SAFMARINE

BASILEA July, 2005

EMILY-C August, 2005

FLINTERBOREAS September, 2005

Landing craft

WARBA November, 2005

LNG tankers

LNG CROSS RIVER September, 2005

LNG ENUGU October, 2005

UMM BAB November, 2005

Offshore tugs

LEWEK SWAN July, 2005

Oil products tankers

GULF HORIZON July, 2005

RAINIER SPIRIT August, 2005

TORGOVY

BRIDGE September, 2005

EURONIKE September, 2005

OCTAVIA September, 2005

GULF STREAM September, 2005

GULF COAST November, 2005

Passenger ship/ro-ro cargo ships

CARNIVAL LIBERTY July, 2005

MAERSK

DUNKERQUE September, 2005

Search and rescue/standby safety

vessels

SAR 413 July, 2005

GRAMPIAN

COMMANDER August, 2005

Tugs

CORRINGHAM July, 2005

SALVADOR DALI July, 2005

ATLANTIC CEDAR July, 2005

HARIS August, 2005

PILBARA

VULCAN August, 2005

RT CLAIRE August, 2005

BATYR August, 2005

RT STEPHANIE September, 2005

UNION

EMERALD September, 2005

SVITZER

MALLAIG September, 2005

HAMRA September, 2005

SAAM

PUREPECHA September, 2005

HAMZA October, 2005

SVITZER MALTBY November, 2005

HAIMA November, 2005


The next generation of CSR-compliant, double-hull oiltankers will be more robustand have a longer fatigue life


PLAYING BY THE COMMON STRUCTURAL RULES

Lloyd’s Register’s involvementLloyd’s Register’s main involvementhas been with the Joint TankerProject (JTP), which it undertook in conjunction with the AmericanBureau of Shipping (ABS) and DetNorske Veritas (DNV).

Together, we produced three draftsof the Rules: the first was released inJune 2004 and the second in April2005, incorporating various changesin response to some 2,834 industrycomments. The Rules continued tobe refined as a result of applicationto test cases, consequence studiesand longer-term development itemsraised by industry. Following afurther 228 industry comments and feedback from meetings withdesigners, shipyards and shipownergroups later in the year, the thirdand final draft was produced inOctober 2005.

The feedback from industry has ledto several substantive changes in the published versions of the Rules,many resulting from a need to finetune or clarify the various rules and

requirements and to enhance theirusability. Specifically, the changesinclude:

• a significant reduction in thenumber of finite element (FE)load cases that need to bereviewed, largely to makeassessment less labour intensiveand to produce moreconsistency with actual loadcases – a shear force correctionnow only needs to be appliedto load patterns which generatea high still-water shear force,and various minor adjustmentshave been made to applicabledraughts and loading patterns

• upward adjustments to thegeneral and local (pitting, edgeand groove) corrosion marginsfollowing suggestions that theoriginal margins were too smallfor a design life of 25 years andwould lead to a significantamount of steel replacementover the ship’s life

• clarifications to the prescriptiverules for primary supportmembers and re-evaluation ofharbour/tank testing draughtsand acceptance criteria

• clarification of generalmandatory and optionalloading conditions

• verification and refinement offatigue requirements in respectof upper longitudinals oncargo tank longitudinalbulkheads, longitudinals onstools, bent-type hopperknuckles and grinding

Now that the common

structural Rules for tankers

and bulk carriers have

been published, Lloyd’s

Register is helping the

industry to begin building

a new generation of safer,

more robust ships.

At the 52nd meeting of theInternational Association ofClassification Societies (IACS)Council on December 14, 2005, the draft common structural Rules(CSR) for tankers and bulk carrierswere unanimously adopted.Formally published by IACS onJanuary 15, the new Rules havebeen approved for implementationby Lloyd’s Register’s TechnicalCommittee and will becomeeffective on April 1, 2006 for shipscontracted on or after this date.They will be implementeduniformly by all IACS membersocieties.

“The development and adoption of common Rules for both thesemajor ship types is a major stepforward for the industry as a wholeand for classification,” says AlanGavin, Marine Director, Lloyd’sRegister. “We have proactivelyraised the bar for newbuildingstandards, which will stand theindustry in good stead over thecoming years as these ships beginto accrue operational experience.”


Shipyards and designers, withLloyd's Register's assistance,are learning how to apply thenew Rules.


• a requirement for a minimumperformance standard byreference to upcomingregulation under SOLAS.

A long-term process ofharmonisation with the CSR forbulk carriers has also been initiated,and several issues identified asbarriers to adoption have alreadybeen concluded – particularly withregard to FE requirements and,importantly, the approach to netthickness and rounding. It isanticipated that full harmonisationwill be achieved five years from theintroduction of the new Rules: aone-year application and feedbackperiod will be followed by threeyears of harmonisation work and afurther year for industry review andimplementation.

Meeting the challengeThe introduction of the new CSRis being met with enthusiasmwithin the industry. In China, forexample, where there are some86 shipyards and design institutesengaged in shipbuilding for theexport market, there is a cleardesire to be well positioned intime for the April roll-out.

Lloyd’s Register has been preparingto meet the needs of designers,builders and operators during thetransition period and beyond, anda number of initiatives are alreadyin place to make the move assmooth as possible.

Expert networkOur plan approval staff inYokohama, Busan, Shanghai,Madrid and London have beencontributing to the developmentof the new methodology,requirements and procedures ofCSR since the early stages of theproject. They practised applyingthe Rules on ship designs they hadrecently approved and therebygrew with the project as the Rulesdeveloped. Consequently, theseplan approval centres are nowequipped with teams of surveyorswho are familiar with theapplication of the CSR for tankers.Simultaneously, this expertnetwork has been fosteringdesign development projects withshipyards and, as a result, is wellplaced to provide experiencedand knowledgeable guidance onthe application of the new Rules.

Task force teamsFor some time now, Chineseshipyards and designers have beengoing through the process ofprioritising current tanker and bulkcarrier designs and identifyingwhich should form the basis fornew, CSR-compliant designs. Withthis complete, however, they facethe more challenging task ofadapting the designs themselves.To help resource this undertaking,we are implementing a 'task forceteam' approach in conjunctionwith China Classification Society(CCS), with which we have had a

reciprocal technology-sharingagreement since September 2005.The task force consists of planapproval surveyors from bothLloyd's Register and CCS, alongwith shipyard and design instituteengineers. It will follow a formal,multi-stage process, that includesfinite element analysis and design iteration, assessing designsagainst the new Rules anddeveloping them to make themCSR compliant.

“Our close links with keyshipbuilders in China haveenabled us to get the task forcestrategy underway quickly and weare already receiving extremelypositive feedback from the yardsand design institutes,” says ChrisBale, China Marine BusinessManager for Lloyd’s Register Asia.“We feel that the strategy is aninnovative approach to solvingwhat could have been a majorindustry-wide resource problem,and it is a prime example of ourcontinuing commitment to theshipbuilding industry in China.”

Continued overleaf >

S

Lloyd's Register was the firstclassification society to offerfinite-element training inChina; pictured here, agroup from Dalian Shipyard.



Similar activities are underway inboth Korea and Japan, where weare also helping the shipyards todevelop CSR-compliant designs.In Korea, we have beenengaging shipyards in co-operative consequenceassessments as each draft of theRules has been released. InJapan, re-evaluation of standardtanker designs has been inprogress since March 2004 inconjunction with theShipbuilders’ Association ofJapan and the Japan Shipowners’Association. Feedback from bothcountries indicates that the yardsare benefiting greatly fromLloyd’s Register’s practical, hands-on approach.

New versions of softwareTo coincide with the publicationof the Common Structural Rulesfor Double Hull Oil Tankers wehave recently released newversions of our key softwareproducts, RulesCalc andShipRight SDA. RulesCalc is a toolthat enables ship designers toassess quickly and optimise theirdesigns against the new tankerRules; ShipRight SDA (structuraldesign assessment) is a powerfulfinite element modelling andanalysis tool which allowsassessment and customisablereporting of compliance againstprocedural structuralrequirements. Both programsbenefit from our softwareinterface tool, which enablesdesigners to import designs andmodels created in industry-

and delivery of the new, CSR-compliant ships,” he said.

Delivered in Chinese, to date, thecourses have been attended bydelegates from the ShanghaiMerchant Ship Design andResearch Institute (SDARI), theMarine Design and ResearchInstitute of China (MARIC),Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard,Nantong COSCO KHI ShipEngineering Co Ltd (NACKS),Jingnan Shipyard and GuangzhouShipyard, among others.

Looking aheadLloyd’s Register, through itscommitment to quality, researchand training, is well placed to leadthe industry through the roll-outof the new Rules. Our teams inChina, Japan and Korea areequipping us with solid, practicalexperience of the Rules and the challenges they present todesigners, as well as the choicesthat will be open to owners whenspecifying their new ships.

To date, the co-operationbetween Lloyd’s Register,shipowners, operators andshipyards has been a major stepforward for CSR. The timelyintroduction of our task forceteams and other initiatives in themajor shipbuilding countries willhelp owners and yards to beginto order, design and build thenew generation of more robusttankers and bulk carriers as soonas possible.

standard software packages, and both support the new CSRfor tankers issued by IACS.

The Lloyd’s Register softwaredevelopment team has beenworking closely with the Ruledevelopment team at all stages,covering each draft of the newRules and ensuring that thesoftware provides the mostreliable results possible. Inaddition, extensive cross-checkingof results with ABS and DNV hasensured that consistent scantlingsare produced. The intimateknowledge gained has enabled us to bring out the new versionsin time to support the publishedRules (see www.cdlive.lr.org fordownload instructions).

Common tanker Rules trainingEarly in the developmentprocess, work commenced oncreating a series of five-daytraining courses ready for theimplementation of the newRules. The first, which waslaunched in China in mid-September 2005, aims to provide designers with detailedknowledge of the application ofthe prescriptive Rules and oursupporting RulesCalc software.

The second has been developedto prepare designers for theapplication of the CSR FEprocedures and providefamiliarity with ShipRight SDA.Speaking after the delivery ofthe first of the FE courses atDalian Shipyard in China in mid-December 2005, Guo Cheng Xin,Vice-President of DalianShipbuilding Industry Co Ltd,commented on thecomprehensive nature of thematerial covered, remarkingupon how well prepared thecourse had been. “Such trainingwill enable Chinese yards tocompete effectively in the design

For further information on how Lloyd’s Registercan help owners,operators, yards anddesigners to implement the common structuralRules for tankers, pleasesee our forthcomingtanker-specific magazine,Tanker Focus, to bepublished in April 2006.

For further informationcontact David Tozer,Business Manager –Container Ships, Lloyd’sRegister

E: [email protected]: +44 (0)20 7423 1562F: +44 (0)20 7423 2213

For further information

contact Nick Brown, Business

Manager – Tankers, Lloyd’s

Register

T +44 (0)20 7423 1945

F +44 (0)20 7423 2213

E [email protected]

Lloyd's Register has updated itsShipRight SDA and RulesCalcsoftware to support the newtanker Rules; both updates areavailable for download fromwww.cdlive.lr.org


The UK MAIB describedour assistance during theSea Empress incident as‘invaluable’,” says RobAskins, Head of SERS.

The new regulation 37(4) ofMARPOL Annex I has beenbrought into force as a meansof preventing a recurrence ofthe pollution caused by thegrounding of the SeaEmpress.

7

It is now just over 10 years sincethe grounding of the tanker SeaEmpress at Milford Haven onFebruary 15, 1996. The groundingturned out to be a major pollutionincident, with an estimated 2,500tonnes of crude oil escaping as aresult of the grounding itself anda further 69,300 tonnes lost to thesea during the six-day salvageoperation.

UK response to the incidentThe ensuing report of the MarineAccident Investigation Branch(MAIB) led the UK Government to consider the lessons that couldbe learned from the incident fordouble-hull as well as single-hulltankers. Of particular concern was the danger that a damageddouble-hull tanker could float ata deeper draught than would bethe case for a single-hull tankersuch as Sea Empress. Where it was

Achieving the objectivesThe first objective can be achievedby protecting the bottom of thepump room. Indeed, MARPOL73/78 Annex I requires that thepump room of all oil tankers of5,000 dwt or greater built on orafter January 1, 2007 is fitted with a double bottom.

Further to MAIB’s report, the UKGovernment recommended to theMarine Environment ProtectionCommittee (MEPC) that tankeroperators could achieve thesecond of these objectives byensuring that they have access toshore-based computer programsfor damage stability and residualstrength calculations. It went onto recommend that access to suchprograms should be mandatoryfor all oil tankers above a certainsize in order to help speed up any salvage process and, thus,minimise the potential for a large-scale oil spill.

Annex I – new Regulation 37(4)The recommendation wasadopted at the 52nd meeting ofthe MEPC and, consequently,when the revised version ofAnnex I comes into force onJanuary 1, 2007, Regulation 26(‘Shipboard oil pollutionemergency plan’), as well asbeing renumbered to Regulation37, will contain an additionalrequirement (paragraph 4)specifying that all oil tankers(new and existing) must haveprompt access to calculationprograms of the kindrecommended by the UK.

LEARNING FROM THE SEA EMPRESS

Tanker operators can comply withthe new Regulation by enrollingtheir ships with Lloyd’s RegisterEMEA’s Ship Emergency ResponseService (SERS). With over 2,000ships currently subscribed, SERShas extensive experience ofproviding technical support toowners and operators duringemergencies.

SERS has earned a worldwidereputation as the leadingprovider of marine emergencyresponse with experience of over130 live incidents and over 550exercises involving enrolledvessels. In 2005 alone, SERSresponded to 19 real emergenciesand conducted over 40 exercises.

“The key to our ability to actquickly is preparation,” saysRobert Askins, Head of SERS. “Wedevelop detailed, quality-assuredmodels of enrolled ships, whichcan be recalled instantly in theevent of an incident. Our intuitivesoftware allows rapid analysis andreporting of casualty conditions,enabling fast, informed decisionsat crucial moments.

“The UK MAIB described ourassistance during the Sea Empressincident as ‘invaluable’,” Askinspoints out. “We are delightedthat MEPC has now recognised theimportance of damage stabilityand residual strength calculationprograms and we look forward tohelping tanker operators complywith the new Regulation.”

March 2006 HORIZONS




contact Robert Askins, Head

of SERS, Lloyd’s Register

EMEA

T +44 (0)20 7423 1483

F +44 (0)20 7423 1635

E [email protected]

Ten years on from the Sea

Empress incident, revisions

to MARPOL 73/78 Annex I

are set to minimise the

potential for oil pollution.

also grounded as a result, such avessel would need to be lightenedin a rapid but controlled fashion,ensuring that further strain onthe hull would not result inadditional damage and,therefore, further oil spillage.

To achieve this, the Governmentfelt it was necessary to:

• maintain as far as possible the capacity and availability ofa ship's pumps once damageto the bottom of the vesselhas occurred (even, wherepossible, when damage affectsthe cargo pump room)

• increase, with regard to structural strengthimplications, the degree of certainty with whichlightening and salvageoperations could beundertaken following damage or grounding.



CHINA GEARS UP FOR GAS

LNG in ChinaChina has a significant supply ofnatural gas but these reserves areremote from areas of densepopulation and consumers in theeastern seaboard provinces. Tomeet the demand, a 3,000 km east-west pipeline has been constructed,and plans are being discussed for afurther pipeline. However, thedemand for energy is outstrippingsupply and LNG is seen as a solutionto the growing gap betweenindigenous supply and demand.

The pattern of terminal proposalswould at first sight appear to followthat of the US. Many sites havebeen proposed and, as with the US,not all of them will be realised.Showing clarity of thought, theGovernment has reportedly takensteps to limit the proliferation ofLNG receiving terminals, recognisingthat if they were all built there maynot be enough LNG to supply themall. Further, there may not be thedemand for the available gas from the country’s residential,commercial and power generationsectors. By limiting the number of

import terminals to one perprovince, the government haseffectively halved the number ofplanned terminals.

The Chinese Government’s NationalDevelopment and ReformCommittee (NDRC) is responsiblefor developing China’s LNGcapability. It has the authority togrant project approvals and to co-ordinate oil companies, shipowners,shipyards and classification societies.

NDRC has taken an interestingapproach with respect to theapproval of terminals. Fullauthorisation of any proposedterminal cannot be achieved untilthe gas supply has been fixed.Fixing a gas train is not a quickprocess, and gas suppliers requirethe project to have Governmentrecognition. To overcome thissituation, the NDRC has applied‘Lu Tiao’ approval to terminals.This is similar to an ‘approval inprinciple’ which allows terminalsto negotiate with gas supplierseven though the project has notyet achieved full authorisation.

Powering thefuture: China ispreparing todiversify its energysupply, and gas islikely to play alarge role in thisprocess.

As of 2003 around 68% ofChina’s primary energy sourcewas delivered through coal-basedtechnologies and, with domesticcoal reserves of 126 billiontonnes, it would seem theobvious source of future supply.The main problems with coal arethat it has a low thermal value,extraction efficiencies are lowand it has a high sulphur contentwhich contributes to pollution.

Moving to protect theenvironment and reducepollution, China is striving toimprove energy efficiencythroughout the country andincrease the use of clean energysources. The recent passing of the Renewable Energy Law willencourage the development of wind, solar and hydrotechnologies, and these, togetherwith gas, will account for up to22% of the country’s primaryenergy source by 2020.

The clean-burning

properties and

abundance of gas

are making it an

attractive source of

energy to the Chinese

Government.



contact David Tozer,

Business Manager –

Container Ships, Lloyd’s

Register

E: [email protected]

T: +44 (0)20 7423 1562

F: +44 (0)20 7423 2213



contact Chris Bale, Marine

Business Development

Manager for PR China

T +86 (0)21 5158 1003

F +86 (0)21 6390 6928

E [email protected]

To date, six LNG projects havegained authorisation from theNDRC: Guangdong, Fujian,Shanghai, Zhejian, Shandongand Herbei. Several more areunder development but have not yet received Governmentapproval. The terminal atGuangdong will receive its firstcargo of LNG on April 28, 2006,and this will mark China’s arrivalas an LNG importing country.

Australia and Indonesia arealready committed to supplyinggas for the first two terminals,and the first LNG ship is underconstruction now at Hudongshipyard. A recent deal betweenQatar and Taiwan puts Qatarand Iran firmly in the picture as potential future suppliers of gas for China.

The volumes, size of ship andshipping distance will obviouslydictate the number of LNG

ships required to supply theterminals and, with shipyards in the Asian region nowcommitted up until the end of the decade, China will have to turn to its own shipyards todeliver these vessels. Although to date Hudong is the only yard in China at the moment building LNG ships, a number of shipyards have already gonethrough the process of obtainingapproval to build LNG ships.Dalian New Shipyard, Jiang NanShipyard and NACKS (the jointventure between COSCO and

Kawasaki) have all beenqualified by NDRC to build LNG ships, and with reports ofthe need for up to 30 LNG shipsover the next 10 years, severalmore facilities are vying forapproval. NDRC is currentlypromoting technologicaldiversity by supporting both the Moss and the membranecontainment systems.

With the continuing growth ofthe Chinese economy and itsincreasing need for energy, thedevelopment of the country’s gasresources is sure to provideopportunities for all in the gaslogistics chain.

The first LNG ships to bebuilt in a Chinese yard arecurrently under constructionat Hudong shipyard. Thefuture requirement isexpected to be a further 30ships over the next 10 years.

Terminal Capacity mtpa Approval status Start up

Guangdong 3.85 Approved June 2006

Fujian 2.6 Approved December 2007

Shanghai 3.0 Lu Tiao 2008

Hebei 6.0 Lu Tiao 2008

Hainan Not approved

Zhejiang Lu Tiao 2009

Zhuhai Not approved

Guanxi Not approved

Tianjin 2.0 Not approved 2010

Laoning 4.0 Not approved 2010

Jiangsu 3.5 Not approved 2009

Shandong 3.0 Lu Tiao 2008


Careful design andassessment of alarm systemsis required to ensure thatoperators do not end up‘driving to alarms’ ratherthan remaining in activecontrol of the system.


RAISING THE ALARM

“All of this can be distracting forthe seafarer, who consequentlymay have to keep abreast of alarge number of alarms at anygiven time. Confusion may easilyarise from alarms whose sourcesand implications are notunderstood. Alarms, therefore,can increase the seafarer’sworkload and lead toinformation overload,” says DrJonathan Earthy, Principal HumanFactors Specialist, Lloyd’s Register.

“In such instances there is achance that genuine alarmsarising from ship-critical systemswhich require attention will belost in the noise. For alarms tofulfil their intended purpose – to reduce operator workload –they need to be designed so that the seafarer is not requiredto monitor several sets ofparameters at the same time.”

System designAlarm and indicationspecification for complex systems requires analysis from a functional viewpoint thatconsiders operability andusability. This can presentdifficulties to design teamsaccustomed to detailedprescriptive specifications and theimmediacy of physical systems.The consequence for seafarerscan be subtle misunderstandingsof how the system is meant to beoperated, which can lead tosevere consequences in abnormalconditions. There is a definiterole for an integrator in suchdesign activities to manage thisemergent risk, and there is aneed for the owner and crew tobe involved so that the real risks,as experienced by the users, canbe taken into account whendesigning complex systems.

Modern alarm

systems, as they are

currently configured,

can pose a significant

threat to operational

and navigational

safety through

information overload

and poor integration.

Careful assessment

of the risks is

required to ensure

that automated

systems assist the

seafarer rather than

hinder him.

The proliferation of alarms inshipboard systems is currentlyrecognised as the number onefactor impacting navigationalsafety. Onboard the modern ship,alarms are in operation in almostall areas, including machineryand accommodation spaces andthe bridge.

The increasing number of alarmsfor both deck and engineeringequipment and machinery hasbeen brought about by the rapid increase in the use ofautomation. The number ofsystems onboard capable ofgenerating alarms has grown, as has the number of alarmsassociated with each individualsystem. The number of alarmsignals from external sources hasalso increased, including theglobal maritime distress andsafety system (GMDSS), theautomatic identification system(AIS) and even email and fax.


Jonathan Earthy




The selection of appropriatealarm channels is not necessarilysimple, and prescribed alarmchannels may not be appropriatefor particular system designs orconfigurations. The introductionof redundant systems andmultiple reversionary operatingmodes further complicates alarmsystem design.

Concerns that are lessimmediately apparent arise fromthe inappropriate use of alarmsto communicate with theseafarer, e.g. as a substitute forclear mode and status indication.Without effective displays tosupport mode awareness it isdifficult to convey the state ofthe system to the seafarer.Combined with the increase inautomation, the use of alarms forstatus indication can change theseafarer’s role to one of passivemachine minding rather thanactive system control.

Assessing alarm systemsRecognising that the primaryfunction of an alarm system is to convey information to theseafarer efficiently and effectively,consideration of the usability ofthe system in any assessment isparamount. Human variability andadaptability, however, frequentlymake assessment of the humanelement somewhat moredemanding than traditionalmarine equipment testing. Theneed to consider the ‘context ofuse’ in many human elementassessments limits the value ofprescriptive design guidance.Assessment approaches that takecontext into account are also newto much of the marine sector.Lloyd’s Register has been in thevanguard of developing standardsthat can be used to assess theseaspects of user interaction withcomplex systems, usingapproaches and principles basedon process assessment.

While many of the essentialfeatures of an alarm system can be readily assessed usingwell-established ergonomicdesign criteria, aspects related to seafarer workload can only beproperly assessed in a simulatedtrial as their assessment requiresinformation to be obtained from the user. Topics relating to the use of alarm systemswhich can be assessed includeease of understanding and ease of navigation around the alarm system.

The design of facilities used topresent alarms can be assessed,ranging from workstationdesign, through display design,to the design of individual alarmmessages and the design ofaudible alarms. Topics related to the location of alarms can beexamined, e.g. alarm aspects of the bridge, the engine room,the engine control room andaccommodation spaces. Otheraspects of alarm system designwhich can be examined includethe integration of computer andtraditional alarms and systemintegrity as a whole. The needfor procedures for responding toalarms and for the managementof the alarm system can also be examined, including topicssuch as handover of shelvedalarms and transfer of station in control.

The way aheadSome aspects of alarm systemdesign are determined byregulatory requirements andrecommendations such as theIMO Code on Alarms andIndicators, but there are manyaspects that are not. Supplychain management and liabilityissues can further complicate the achievement of a successfulsolution.

“Taking into account our ownexperiences, we have drawn onbest practice from other sectors,adapted it for maritime use andhave developed two new servicesto assist owners and yards indesign, management andoperation of alarm systems,” saysEarthy. “These services do notrequire specialist ergonomicexpertise and have been designedto be carried out in conjunctionwith regular classification surveys,following tailoring of standarddesign assessment checklists to suitship type, classification notationsand the alarm system technology.”

We can provide guidance duringthe design stage at system leveland on aspects related to theequipment under control, such asprioritisation and grouping, aswell as user-interface design.

We can also support the effectivemanagement of alarms byexamining the activitiesundertaken to ensure that thealarm system alerts, informs andguides the watchkeeper in takingtimely action. This service is basedon the premise that the effectivemanagement of alarm systems hasbecome important to the safe andeffective operation of modernships. The extent to which theseactivities can be undertaken willbe based on the age of the ship,as implementing thorough-goingchanges on an older ship witholder equipment may not bepractical, although the operatormay seek an improvement inshipboard operations.

“We believe that these alarmservices will provide considerablebenefits to safety and ease ofoperation,” says Earthy, “andwill continue to provide ownersand seafarers with operationaladvantages for some time to come.”


contact Dr Jonathan Earthy,

Human Factors Specialist,

Lloyd’s Register

T +44 (0)20 7423 2304

F +44 (0)20 7423 2061

E [email protected]


IHORIZONS March 200612

Lloyd’s Register EMEAT + 44 (0)20 7709 9166F + 44 (0)20 7423 2057E [email protected]

71 Fenchurch StreetLondon EC3M 4BS, UK

Lloyd’s Register AsiaT + 852 2287 9333F + 852 2526 2921E [email protected]

Suite 3501 China Merchants TowerShun Tak Centre 168–200 Connaught Road CentralHong Kong, SAR of PRC

Lloyd’s Register Americas, Inc.T +1 (1)281 675 3100F +1 (1)281 675 3139E [email protected]

1401 Enclave Parkway, Suite 200Houston, Texas, 77077, USA

www.lr.org

March 2006

Services are provided by members of the Lloyd’s Register Group. Lloyd’s Register, Lloyd’s Register EMEA and Lloyd’s Register Asia are exempt charities under the UK Charities Act 1993.

ON THE HORIZONExhibitions and technical papersLloyd’s Register Asia will be hosting a seminar the daybefore the Shipping China 2006 conference in Shanghai,PRC entitled “The growth of LNG in China: The fuel ofthe future”. The seminar is free of charge. For furtherdetails, contact Ruth Dalgethy at Mare Forum([email protected]).

Over the next three months (March 2006 to May 2006inclusive) we will be sponsoring and/or exhibiting at:

Shipping China 2006, Shanghai, PRC, March 2-3

IMarEST World Maritime Technology Conference 2006,London, UK, March 6-10

Seatrade Cruise Shipping, Miami, Florida, USA, March 13-16

Connecticut Maritime Association, Stamford,Connecticut, USA, March 20-22

INTERTANKO Tanker Event, Singapore, March 29-31

Ferry Shipping Conference 2006, Stockholm, Sweden,April 19-21

Offshore Technology Conference 2006, Houston, Texas,USA, May 1-4

We will be presenting papers at:

Shipping China 2006, Shanghai, PRC, March 1-2, Robert Tustin

IMarEST World Maritime Technology Conference 2006,London, UK, March 6-10, John Carlton, Ed Fort, Jonathan Earthy, Duncan Gould, Vaughan Pomeroy,Brian Sherwood Jones

Arctic Shipping 2006, St Petersburg, Russia, April 24-26,Robert Tustin

Offshore Technology Conference 2006, Houston, Texas,USA, May 1-4, Tony Bingham, John Carlton, Gary Cruden

• Paris MOU, Tokyo MOU and Vinadel Mar announce concentratedinspection campaign onMARPOL 73/78 Annex I-relatedoperational requirements

• Brazilian ballast waterregulations – foreign-flaggedvessels given time to comply

• Reminder – emergency firepump targeted by port statecontrol officers

• New MARPOL 73/78 Annex IRegulation 37(4) – access toshore-based damagestability/residual structuralstrength calculation programs

• California Clean Coast Actnow in force – CSLC surveyform to be completed byvessels calling at Californiaports or places in 2006

• IACS Council adopts CommonStructural Rules for tankersand bulk carriers

• Brazil amends ballast watermanagement regulations.

Classification News is available free of charge. These issues, together with the archive of alerts, may be viewed at www.cdlive.lr.org

CLASSIF ICATION NEWS

Lloyd’s Register’s Classification News delivers up-to-date information onissues requiring urgent and immediate dissemination to the marineindustry. Recent inspection and statutory alerts we have issued include:

HORIZONSFor further information on ourmarine services, please contactNicola Baker: T +44 (0)20 7423 2765F +44 (0)20 7423 4796E [email protected]

Managing Editor: Dolly RobinsonMarine Media ManagerMarine Business DevelopmentT +44 (0)20 7423 1682E [email protected]

Horizons newsletter is produced by Marine Business Development anddesigned by Pipeline Design.Care is taken to ensure that the information in Horizons is accurate and up-to-date. However, Lloyd’s Register accepts no responsibility forinaccuracies in, or changes to such information.


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