Drill Bits: Pollution

There are various pollutants that can escape from a vessel, but perhaps the one that causes the most immediate damage to the environment is oil pollution. Typically, oil pollution incidents are a result of a loss of containment of oil cargo (whether crude or a product) or marine fuel oil (bunkers).

Here we will look at a suggested pollution drill for an oil tanker losing oil cargo into the sea, covering the actions to take, and the information that should be transmitted to parties during the drill. Remember, you can tailor this to your vessel type by reframing this as a bunker spill from a breached fuel tank!

EMERGENCY: OIL SPILL!

Scenario

Your vessel, a 20,000 GT product tanker, is manoeuvring to pick up a pilot at a port in eastern China, when you are involved in a collision with a vessel at anchor, a 50,000 GT bulk carrier.

As a result of the collision and the subsequent physical damage, approximately 900 mts of persistent base oil leaks from your vessel’s ruptured cargo tank COT 3P into the anchorage waters.

The collision occurs at around 11am LT during the winter season. The sea state at the time is calm within the sheltered anchorage with the outside temperature being 4°C.

Preparation

Try to co-ordinate the drill to get as many people involved as possible. The parties that can get involved include:

• the ship’s crew
• the vessel manager or operator
• the vessel’s P&I club
• spill response organisations relevant to area, e.g. in China, the contracted Ship Pollution Response Organisation (SPRO)

Involving all parties will allow everyone to quickly appreciate the challenges responding and communicating in different time zones.

As ever, when arranging a drill, be mindful of crew’s need for adequate rest.

Running the drill

After a collision incident, the damage assessment and any necessary pollution response are priorities.

The pollution response depends on the type of pollutant and vessel-specific response plans. When carrying out a pollution drill, think about:

• What is the pollutant? Is it oil (persistent or non-persistent), a chemical or dangerous goods?
• Assess the location – what could be affected and how busy is the area?
• What is the plan? For this scenario, it is assumed to be persistent oil, therefore the SOPEP (Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan) should be followed. In the event of a chemical spill, the SMPEP (Shipboard Marine Pollution Emergency Plan) should be followed. But remember, there may be additional requirements, such as in the United States where the Vessel Response Plan (VRP) is to be followed. Individual states may have additional requirements (e.g. California)
• What are the conditions and weather forecast? The weather conditions, the ease of access to shore resources and the availability of SOPEP equipment on board may dictate if the ship has to use its rescue boat/lifeboats to rig makeshift booms to try and contain the oil or fuel that is being spilt from the ship

Team roles and goals

Bridge Team:

• Execute the relevant contingency plan for damage assessment and pollution response
• Check that the contingency plan is available and correct. Note any potential improvements that could be made to report back to the DPA
• Review the vessel’s stability; ensure all deck officers are aware of the vessel’s damage stability requirements
• Discuss who should be contacted and what information should be relayed. This should address which parties must be notified in accordance with the response plan (such as local authorities and spill response organisations, e.g. SPRO in China and the QI/OSRO in the United States)
• Maintain a log of events and communications – discuss the importance of record keeping as this provides vital evidence
• Ensure the bridge team know how to save the VDR, download VDR data and the ECDIS playback.
• Ensure that the whole bridge team know how to operate the GMDSS equipment. Send a GMDSS test call and log this in the GMDSS logbook
• Test ship-shore communications, such as the sat phone
• Discuss how to monitor the elements in the event of a spill that could affect the movement of any pollutants, tide and wind in particular

Emergency Response Team:

• Proceed to muster station
• Execute the relevant contingency plan for damage assessment and pollution response
• Discuss how you would assess damage to the hull, such as the purpose and importance of taking soundings and to start in vicinity of any suspected hull breach to check for other flooded compartments
• Discuss practical considerations of mitigating the flow of leaking oil, such as giving the vessel a list or transferring tank contents
• Report the details of noted damage and flooding to the bridge – discuss the importance of clear communications and the correct radio communications methods
• Discuss what is required to effectively monitor the spill (movement of spread, effectiveness of any containment measures etc.) and identify the best position to monitor the spill
• Discuss how you would co-ordinate with any spill response vessels and assist them as required
• Locate and test run any portable or salvage pumps
• Check and discuss your onboard SOPEP equipment, addressing aspects such as:
  • What is contained?
  • Where it is stowed?
  • How to use the equipment
  • Identifying any limitations on its use in different circumstances
  • Check all planned maintenance is up to date
  • Make sure crew know that SOPEP gear is not to be used in day-to-day work!

Engine Room Team

• Establish communications with the bridge and emergency response teams
• Execute the relevant contingency plan. Check that the contingency plan is available and correct. Note any potential improvements that could be made to report back to the DPA
• Maintain a log of events and communications
• Discuss any necessary transfers of oil or fuel from damaged areas
• Carry out a full set of fuel and oil tanks soundings and compare with contents prior to the collision, reporting results to the bridge
• Prepare standby machinery ready for operation – what would you get ready?

Shore-based management:

• Execute the relevant contingency plan and set up the emergency response team
• Check that the contingency plan is available and correct. Note any potential improvements that could be made to report back to the DPA
• Establish communications with the vessel
• Discuss communication requirements with various parties as relevant and in accordance with the response plans, such as local authorities and spill response organisations
• Are there any specific reporting requirements? For example, in the United States, the Coast Guard require notification within one hour and if this is not undertaken significant fines and a loss of recovery from the Oil Spill Fund can be applied
• Establish contact with the vessel’s P&I Club, providing the following information:
  • Names and types of vessels involved
  • Location and/or co-ordinate of spill
  • A description of what has been spilled, including data sheet or cargo quality certificates where available
  • Estimate of quantity spilled
  • Quantity of cargo and or bunkers on board
  • Date and time of incident
  • Action taken to combat pollution by the ship and any third-party responders
  • Details of any local or international notification requirements that may have already been complied with

The debrief:

After the drill, everyone should help clear up, don’t leave this to one crew member.

The debrief should involve everyone where possible, including the shore team. Your P&I club should contribute to the process, even if that means submitting thoughts by email.

The debrief should cover:

• Did everyone know their roles and responsibilities?
• Did everyone do what was expected of them?
• Were reporting requirements appropriately complied with?
• Was everyone familiar with the SOPEP equipment and its use?
• Were response plans appropriate?
• What went well?
• What problems were encountered and how can these be addressed?
• Were any equipment or procedural defects noted?

If there are any lessons learned, don’t waste them. Make sure they are recorded and put into practice.

Find out more

Approach your usual P&I contact at North if you would like us to participate in your next pollution drill.