Carriage, Handling and Storage of Dangerous Goods along

60 RECOMMENDATIONS
Challenge
Tankers must satisfy a substantial number of design requirements when built for safety and pollutionprevention
purposes. Ten basic characteristics must be considered when constructing a barge:
1. dimension;
2. hull form;
3. machinery size;
4. speed and endurance;
5. cargo capacity and deadweight;
6. accommodation arrangements;
7. cargo/ballast tank arrangements;
8. subdivision and stability accommodations;
9. relative amounts of steel; and
10. basic scantling and structural arrangement.
The size of a vessel chosen for a particular trade route depends on:
1. the length of the voyage;
2. the type of cargo;
3. the storage capacity at the receiving end; and
4. physical port restrictions, e.g. available water depth, at the ports visited.
There are many guidelines to study for the best design, and they are applied in many parts of the
world. In many cases, vessel construction is based on previous experiences or on what other shipping
fleets have to model from. The worst-case scenario is when there are no existing national or regional
standards for cross-border and international transport.
For vessel design and construction, it is necessary to consider past shipping accidents including direct
and root causes. In the case of the Mekong River, there is limited or no accident data available that
might relate casualties or pollution to the cause of the accident in relation to the vessel's structure.
There is also no accident information available that allows for detailed analysis of how the vessel's
structure, compartment arrangements, ventilation and safety systems may have contributed to major
incidents including fatalities, pollution and commercial loss. Hence, there are no studies that have
been conducted to demonstrate how a vessel's construction has contributed to accidents and how the
incident could have been prevented.
Wherever tank barges travel, the threat of pollution exists. The type and condition of tanker barges
sailing on the Mekong River varies considerably. Moreover, traffic on the Mekong River is increasing.
The absence of proper standards or failing to monitor and control the implementation of technical
standards contributes further to risks and compromises safety.
Numerous tanker barges, including an important number visited by the National Working Groups,
were found to be in very poor condition . The need to improve safety for the crew and means for
preventing pollution is critical to prevent major incidents.