Ship owners in order be compliant with the new legislation should take advantage of ship lay up periods to have an Inventory of Hazardous materials survey.

In 2016 there has been a surge of ships being scrapped and being laid up and whilst its a financially strained time for ship owners they should consider maximising the down time by having an  Inventory of Hazardous materials survey performed.

In 2017 the EU regulations regarding all EU flag ships and ships visiting European Ports will be required to have an approved  Inventory of Hazardous materials it is expected that soon after this that the Hong Kong convention for worldwide ships will be ratified.

SURVEYOR DOING A VISUAL CHECK IN AN ENGINE ROOM

Ship owners who take the lay-up options, on the chance that over the next few years charter rates will increase, become financially viable to operate, or scrap prices increase. Should consider that in any event, they can take advantage of the down time by having an Inventory of Hazardous Materials survey including an asbestos inspection carried out on their ship. Even if the ship has an “asbestos free” declaration by the shipyard it has been well documented by marine authorities and survey specialists that regardless of age asbestos is still found in over 80% of new and operational ships.

Our maritime asbestos solutions provide the owner time to have any asbestos removed eliminating an unknown quantity for any prospective buyer “certainty being better than doubt ” at the same time it ticks a box as part of the re-classing of the ship which will improve the chances of a quicker sale and higher price for the vessel either for operational use or ship recycling.

John Chillingworth Senior Vice President

Centre Testing International are the first company in the world to have just received ABS’s first approval to perform Hazardous Material Surveys, which is now added to their DNV/GL, Lloyds, AMSA and Netherlands approvals.

August 2016