This is a legacy page. Please click here to view the latest version.
Thu 30 Aug 2018 11:46

Singapore ships involved in bunker incidents should alert MPA within two hours


Would include bunker pollution, fuel tank damage, injuries and fuel-related mechanical failure.


Image: Pixabay
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has informed owners, managers and shipmasters of Singapore-registered ships that it should be notified "immediately or at the latest, within 2 hours" of any marine casualty or security-related incidents via an 'initial alert'/'initial report'.

The incidents requiring an initial alert include those that result in:

- the death of, or serious injury to, a person;

- the loss of a person from a ship;

- the loss, presumed loss or abandonment of a ship;

- material damage to a ship;

- the stranding or disabling of a ship, or the involvement of a ship in a collision;

- material damage to marine infrastructure external to a ship, that could seriously endanger the safety of the ship, another ship or an individual; or

- severe damage to the environment, or the potential for severe damage to the environment, brought about by the damage of a ship or ships.

In terms of bunkering, this could include pollution from bunker fuel; damage to a vessel's fuel tanks resulting from a collision; an injury sustained during bunkering; or mechanical failure or fire due to a fuel-related issue.

Discussing reporting procedures for initial alerts, the MPA explained: "The general principle in any incident is that urgent steps on the ground, in accordance with ships' and companies' approved plans, must first be taken by the shipboard personnel and companies to prevent further deterioration of the situation with regard to safety of lives at sea and protection of the marine environment.

"Once this is ensured, the owner, manager and shipmaster of the affected Singaporeregistered ships should alert MPA of the incident immediately or at the latest, within 2 hours."

The MPA can be informed of this initial alert either via email (shipping[at]mpa.gov.sg, marine[at]mpa.gov.sg and mmo_mpa[at]mpa.gov.sg) or by phoning the Singapore-Registered Ships (SRS) hotline on +65 62255777 (6-CALL-SRS).

Format

The format for the initial report should be as follows:

1. Type of incident (collision, grounding, fire, hull breach, death/serious injuries to any person, work accident, etc)

2. Pollution to environment (if any) (pollutant-type & amount spilled)

3. Date and time (in local time and time zone)

4. Location of incident (Lat, Long, etc.)

5. Injuries (number and severity) and/or damage (location & severity) and/or pollution (pollutant-type & amount spilled)

6. Current status of incident (e.g. under control/mitigation ongoing)

After the initial alert

After the initial alert, owners, managers and shipmasters of Singapore ships are required to follow this up with a more detailed report to the MPA within 24 hours in accordance with the provisions of Section 1071 of the Merchant Shipping Act.

Failure to comply with this requirement without reasonable cause is an offence which carries a maximum fine of S$10,000 ($7,325).

The completed report should be sent to the MPA via email (shipping[at]mpa.gov.sg and mmo_mpa[at]mpa.gov.sg) or by fax to +65 6375 6231.


Illustration of Singapore's first floating LNG terminal. ABB wins contract to power Singapore's first floating LNG terminal  

FSRU will enable Singapore to boost its LNG importing capacity by 50 percent.

Bunker Partner homepage. Bunker Partner appoints trader in Dubai  

Marine fuel trading and broking company expands UAE team.

Fratelli Cosulich 2025 Bunker Meeting. Cosulich Marine Energy team meets in Monaco to discuss latest industry developments  

Members of Marine Energy division analysed strategies, methanol investments and evolving regulatory framework.

Monjasa MOST trainees. Monjasa trainee programme sees 97% surge in applications  

Marine fuel seller receives 1,530 applications for 2025, nearly double previous years.

Anothony Veder's ethylene carrier Coral Patula. Nissen Kaiun invests in wind-assist technology firm Econowind  

Investment highlights growing industry interest in fuel-neutral wind propulsion technologies.

South Africa flag illustration. Peninsula expands marine fuel operations to Algoa Bay  

Supplier partners with Linsen Nambi to launch bunkering services from October.

Palace of Westminster, London. UK government commits GBP 448m to maritime decarbonisation research programme  

UK SHORE funding aims to accelerate clean shipping technologies through 2030.

Header image for ABS 2025 Sustainability Outlook, Beyond the Horizon: Vision Meets Reality. ABS chief urges IMO to pause net zero framework over fuel availability concerns  

Christopher Wiernicki says LNG and biofuels are 'mission critical' to shipping decarbonisation success.

Quadrise production process — illustration. Quadrise appoints veteran Peter Borup as CEO to drive commercialisation  

Former Maersk executive to lead decarbonisation technology company from October 1.

HMS Bergbau logo. German commodities trader HMS Bergbau enters marine fuels market  

Company acquires experienced team to trade bunkers and lubricants globally.


↑  Back to Top