International Maritime Organisation

The prime global authority is the International Maritime Organisation. The IMO sets the standards and guidelines for the removal of offshore installations. The guidelines specify that installations in less than 75 meters of water with substructures weighing less than 4,000 tons be completely removed from the site. Those in deeper water must be removed to a depth of 55 meters below the surface so that there is no hazard to navigation. In some countries the depth to which structures have to be removed has already been extended to 100m. 

In order to maintain Class and to comply with international legislation a ship must undergo surveys at prescribed intervals. Ships such as tankers and bulk carriers must comply with International Maritime Organisation resolutions which require a Class Enhanced Survey Programme. This programme includes Special Surveys at five yearly intervals with close-up visual inspection and thickness measurements to be made at specified locations, the number of which increases with the age of the ship. 

London Protocol (1996). 1996 Protocol to the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, 1972. London International Maritime Organisation. 

IMO MSC.41(64) Interim standard for measuring smoke and toxic products of combustion, International Maritime Organisation. 

The intention of the authorities, with the restriction of chemical leaking paints was to reduce the release of toxic substances to the sensitive productive coastal areas (Kemi 1998a). The Baltic Sea is considered an environmentally sensitive area, which later was acknowledged internationally by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO 2005) and classified as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSS A) in 2004 (IMO 2005). This was based on its unique environment, with low salinity and low biodiversity. Also, the Baltic Sea is in an evolutionary perspective a young sea and the organisms live in a very stressful environment, as they have not had time to fully adapt to the brackish water conditions (Kautsky and Tedengren 1992 Ryden et al. 2003). 

ACGIH = American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists CERCLA = Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act CFR = Code of Federal Regulations DOT = Department of Transportation DOT-IMO = Department of Transportation/International maritime Organisation ERA = Environmental Protection Agency IDLH = Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Level IRIS =... 

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) categorised CPs (C10-C13) as Noxious liquid substances transported in bulk (Appendix 2 of Annex to the 1973 Intervention Protocol) [45]. 

IMO (1996) Resolution MEPC. 72 (38) adopted on 10 July 1996 - revision of the list of substances to be annexed to the protocol relating to the intervention on the high seas in cases of marine pollution by substances other than oil. MEPC 38/20, International Maritime Organisation... 

Other publications deal with the effects and fate of pollutants and experimental techniques for such studies (see for example [44]). In addition, the effects of pollutants on marine organisms are periodically reviewed (for the last review in the series by Reish et al. see [45]). Similar periodic reviews are published for mixing and transport processes [46]. Toxicity data for marine fauna are also available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency database AQUIRE. Generally speaking, the sensitivity of marine fauna to chemicals varies widely, particularly among the crustaceans [47]. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has a database of toxicity and environmental effect data on Hazardous Substances Carried by Ships [48]. 

Shipping accidents may result in spills of oil, bilge water, and loss of shipped materials. The frequencies of accidents range from 1 x 10 to 2 x 10 per ship per year. Accidents are more Hkely to occur in coastal waters [168] and those involving oils are twice as frequent as those involving chemicals. However, of the latter, chemicals carried in bulk are of greatest concern. As mentioned previously, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has a database of such chemicals. 

At international levels, these vessels have to comply with the fire performance requirements contained in the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) as Codes of Safety including those for High Speed Craft of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO/HSC). In the main these codes are concerned with fire prevention, detection, containment and control of flame, and smoke... 

The International Maritime Organisation is the only authorised group able to change or adapt the recommendations in the IMDG Code. Materials can be moved across international waters from despatch point direct to warehouse or user under the IMDG classification regardless of national legislation which comes into force for all subsequent movements. 

International legislation covers the safety of marine plant with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) providing the overarching governance. 

Spread of flame/LIFT (IMO FTP Code, Part 5 and ISO 5658-2) [International Maritime Organisation, Fire Test Procedures, test for surface flammability, 1998 and Lateral surface spread of flame on building products with specimen in vertical configuration, 1995]... 

Certain tin compounds can be effective. They have received adverse publicity in the context of marine antifouling coatings, and tributyl tin has been banned in ships and boats by the International Maritime Organisation, to the decision is not thought to have adverse impUcations for plastics because the context is different. 

International transport processes are particularly significant with respect to protecting cargo. Security and safety are assiued by relevant organisations. Actions related to maritime transport are carried out by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) air transport is covered by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (lATA). 

SOLAS 74, 1980. International Convention of Safety of Life at Sea. International Maritime Organisation. Standards for Life Rafts and Inflatable Rescue Platforms, 1992. Marine Safety Directorate Transport Canada, Ottawa, www.surviteczodiac.com. 2013. 

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