Brussels, 23/05/2000 (Agence Europe) - On Monday, the European Commission adopted a draft directive establishing harmonised requirements and procedures for the unloading and loading of bulk carrier vessels. The aim is to reduce the number of accidents and losses of human life during the unloading of ships carrying solid goods in bulk. Although the statistics have slightly improved since the eighties, 131 vessels sunk during the 1990-1998 period, killing 731 sailors, noted the Commission.
The measures proposed focus on: a) the communication between bulk carriers and handling terminals; b) the liability of commanders and port authorities; c) improved quality of procedures, the bad distribution of weights or the inadequate use of tools being at the origin of many accidents.
The directive, which translates into European law measures adopted by the International Maritime Organisation in December 1997, would make it compulsory for Member State to ensure that, in their ports, there is: 1) good working material for bulk carriers and terminals according to a control criteria list; 2) responsibility assumed by the commander of the bulk carrier as operations are carried out; 3) the provision, for bulk carriers stopping over in port, of an information manual on handling operations (according to a study commissioned in 1998 by the Commission, only 37% of the terminals inform bulk carriers stopping in the port at their mooring post of the procedures); 4) the maintenance of a quality system in the terminals, based on ISO 9000 norms (the Commission notes that "one of the most worrying results" of international studies concerns the performance of certain terminals in Western Europe which are worse than those of certain terminals in the developing countries, mainly because of loading being carried out too fast); 5) the intervention of a competent authority, when cargo handling operations give rise to situations likely to threaten the ship's safety.