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Do you know the safe passages through the Bohai Strait in China?
ALERT21 JUL 2022
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The Bohai Strait in China is the only entrance and exit for vessels to the Bohai Sea. In recent years, there have been frequent reports of ships being fined by the authorities for crossing the areas with restricted navigation in the Bohai Strait.
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Polar Code on the PSC agenda
ALERT22 JUN 2022
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Paris MOU has launched an inspection campaign to verify compliance with the requirements of the Polar Code. The campaign will be run over two periods, the first inspection period started on 13 June and will last until 1 July 2022, the second period will run from 1 to 19 August 2022.
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Having an abandon ship drill anytime soon?
ALERT01 JUN 2022
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Make sure the ship’s crew conduct a thorough visual inspection of the lifeboat and davit installation and a ‘test lowering’ prior to operating the lifeboat with crew onboard.
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Update on Covid-19 restrictions in Chinese ports
ALERT18 MAY 2022
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China is still adhering to its Covid-19 dynamic clearance policy as the Omicron variant is spreading across the country. Following a recent politburo meeting, the central government has received clear instructions to continue its Covid-19 control policy. Since the strict measures to contain the virus are unlikely to relax in the short term and one key aspect of such measures is to prevent the import of cases from abroad, the Covid-19 restrictions in Chinese ports are likely to remain in place for some time.
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Fire safety onboard ships – a continuous cause for concern
ALERT09 MAY 2022
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Fuel leaks and oil soaked insulation in engine rooms, clogged nozzles of fixed fire extinguishing systems, malfunctioning fire water pumps, holes in ventilation ducts… The list of unacceptable fire safety systems and arrangements observed during port state control inspections is long - and more worrying, it does not change much from one year to another.
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Navigating safely through the seasonal fishing ban in Chinese waters
ALERT05 MAY 2022
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The seasonal fishing ban in China came into force on 1 May 2022. Similar to the increase in fishing traffic seen in the period before the start of the ban, the number of fishing boats is expected to increase significantly once the ban comes to an end. As some illegal fishing activities may still continue in some areas during the ban, ship operators and masters are advised to take additional precautions when planning a voyage to and from Chinese ports during this period.
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Gard warns Members to remain vigilant about liquefaction risk
ALERT26 APR 2022
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Gard has recently been notified of new incidents where solid bulk cargoes classified as Group A, liable to liquefy, have been loaded with moisture content in excess of the transportable moisture limit (TML). Gard reminds Members to remain vigilant when loading such cargoes and to have a low threshold for contacting the Club if they have any concerns or questions.
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Three steps to contain an outbreak of infection onboard
ALERT20 APR 2022
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An ‘outbreak’, in very simple terms is defined as prevalence of an infectious disease in a population. In the context of merchant ships, an outbreak is when multiple crew members are infected by the same infectious disease. In the confines of the onboard environment, infectious diseases can spread rapidly from one crew member to another.
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Face masks are effective transmission barriers against infections
ALERT06 APR 2022
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Respiratory viruses can lead to significant illness and in some cases even death. One of the most effective infection control strategies is to wear a face mask.
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Feeling unwell? Report and recover but don’t pass it to others
ALERT31 MAR 2022
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Any one of us can fall sick with a viral infection. What do we do? We take prescribed medicines and try to stay away from our family and friends until we have recovered. This is us being ‘socially responsible’.
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Singapore bunkers - presence of chlorinated hydrocarbons
ALERT30 MAR 2022
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Gard Members and clients are reporting operational problems that may be caused by contaminated bunkers, mostly HSFO, stemmed in Singapore in the first quarter of 2022.
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War in Ukraine – impact on maritime situation
ALERT29 MAR 2022
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Updated 21 March 2023
The Black Sea Grain Initiative has been extended for the second time. While the exact details of the extension are still unclear, reports suggest that the initiative's regular activities will continue for at least 60 days more. However, the risk of collateral damage to civilian shipping operating in the war risk area in the northern Black Sea, outside the declared maritime humanitarian corridor, remains high and the threat of drifting mines in the western parts of the Black Sea persists.
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Fitting of fuel oil sampling points becomes mandatory
ALERT29 MAR 2022
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Updated 29 September 2022
The retroactive MARPOL Annex VI requirement to fit or designate sampling points for taking representative samples of the fuel oil in use onboard ships entered into force on 1 April 2022, and the deadline for compliance depends on each ship’s schedule for renewing its APP certificate.
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Does your onboard hygiene management cover high touch surfaces?
ALERT22 MAR 2022
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Although not visible to the naked eye, germs live among us. They are more likely to be present on surfaces which people touch quite frequently with their hands. These are known as as ‘high touch surfaces’.
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Ukrainian seafarer repatriation
ALERT03 MAR 2022
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As the conflict in Ukraine continues, many Members and clients are having difficulties repatriating Ukrainian crew. Some crew members may want to extend their contracts given the turbulence and uncertainty of the situation; others will want to terminate their contracts earlier than intended in order to go home to Ukraine.
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Updated guidance on pilot transfer arrangements
ALERT14 FEB 2022
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The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the International Maritime Pilots Association (IMPA) recently published an updated version of their ‘Shipping Industry Guidance on Pilot Transfer Arrangements’ in an effort to make pilot transfer arrangements safer.
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Verification of electronic statutory and class certificates
ALERT19 JAN 2022
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Ships continue to experience instances of port state control interventions, and sometimes hefty fines, allegedly because the validity of their electronic statutory and class certificates cannot be verified during onboard inspections.
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Ghana withdraws Directive imposing fines on ships with unvaccinated personnel
ALERT18 JAN 2022
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The Directive announcing that fines will be levied on vessels arriving in Ghanaian ports with crew or passengers not vaccinated against COVID-19 has now been withdrawn.
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Handling of COVID-19 positive crew cases in China
ALERT06 JAN 2022
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China’s zero-tolerance for COVID-19 and stringent border control continue to have serious consequences for crews and ships calling at the country’s ports - particularly if crew members have tested positive for COVID-19.
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Be a handwash hero!
ALERT27 DEC 2021
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Good hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to avoid any type of infection through the spread of germs. Our hands touch numerous surfaces in the course of the day which exposes them to various germs. These germs can enter our bodies and spread serious or fatal infections.
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