Written Answers. - Safety at Sea.
Trevor Sargent
Ceist:
5
Mr. Sargent
asked the
Minister for the Marine
if it is necessary, in the interests of safety at sea, for hauliers and large carriers to declare the type of cargo they are transporting; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Trevor Sargent
Ceist:
75
Mr. Sargent
asked the
Minister for the Marine
if it is necessary, in the interests of safety at sea, for hauliers and large carriers to declare the type of cargo they are transporting; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Priority Question No. 5 and Question No. 75 together.
I fully share the Deputy's concern in the matter. In the interests of safety at sea there is a paramount necessity for carriers to declare the nature of their cargoes to the appropriate authorities.
I can however advise the Deputy that procedures are already in place in relation to the declaration of cargo. Before any cargo is loaded on board a vessel, the shipper or other person entering into a contract of carriage of goods by sea with a carrier must furnish the Master of the vessel with details of the type of cargo, including its weight. On the basis of this information a cargo plan is drawn up which enables the Master to ensure that the vessel is safely loaded.
The carriage of dangerous goods by sea is governed by the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code of the International Maritime Organisation which is amended at regular intervals. Current requirements are implemented in Ireland by the Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods) Rules, 1992. In addition to regulating the packaging and stowage of dangerous goods, the rules prohibit the taking on board of such goods for carriage unless the shipper has furnished the shipowner or Master with a dangerous goods declaration. The declaration must indicate the correct technical name of the dangerous or polluting goods, their United Nations numbers, the hazard classes in accordance with the IMDG Code, the quantities of such goods and their location on board and, if in portable tanks or freight containers, their identification marks.
The rules also require the master of a ship carrying dangerous goods to carry a specific list, manifest or stowage plan on board giving details of the dangerous goods carried in the ship, in accordance with the information provided by the shipper. The reporting of incidents involving the loss of dangerous goods is mandatory under these rules.
Existing requirements for vessels carrying dangerous or polluting cargoes will be strengthened from 1995 by an EC Directive which will apply to vessels bound for or leaving Community ports. The Directive has as its main objective the prevention or minimisation of serious accidents at sea. The provisions of the Directive are designed to ensure:—
—that shipowners and masters are made fully aware by the shipper or his agent of the nature of any dangerous or polluting goods being offered
for carriage whether in bulk or in packaged form; and
—that operators of ships carrying dangerous or polluting goods notify the competent authorities in the Community port of destination of the nature of their cargo and provide a position report as soon as the ships enter the Member State's coastal zone.
I can assure the Deputy that safety procedures in relation to dangerous cargo declarations are kept under review by the Department. This is particularly so in the case of container goods where particular difficulties can arise through misdeclaration of contents or the incorrect labelling of containers.
