à rsmelding for 2005 - Sjøfartsdirektoratet

English summaryFoto:International cooperationThe European Union’s agenda-settingrole in shaping rules and regulationsfor the enhancement of maritime safetyis becoming increasingly important,and the Norwegian Maritime Directorate(NMD) mobilized considerableresources in 2005 to ensure Norway’sinfluence and say in EU shippingpolicy. In the course of the year, theNMD fulfilled its obligations underthe EEA Agreement to implementdirectives and regulations in Norwegianlaw.The Norwegian maritime directorcontinues to give top priority to his EuropeanMaritime Safety Agency Boardmembership. Amongst other things,the NMD has contributed to the effortsto establish a casualty investigationunit in the EMSA. The NMD has alsoparticipated actively in the EU bodiesMARSEC and MarED, the latter beingthe coordinator of marine equipmentdirective control work.Furthermore, the NMD played anactive part in the EU Commission’sexpert committee COSS in the area ofnational requirements for fishing vessels.With regard to pleasure craft, theNMD has participated in several internationalforums working to coordinategovernment control of pleasure craft.Where the International MaritimeOrganization is concerned, preparationsare made for several changesthat will raise the safety level for cargoships and large passenger ships. Otherimportant IMO issues include studiesand analyses of previous accidentsinvolving chemical tankers, globaltracking of ships, an internationalship demolition and recycling regime,greenhouse-gas policy and air pollutionfrom ships, as well as regulationsfor gas-powered ships.Seafarers’ competence, workingand living conditionsIn 2005, the Norwegian MaritimeDirectorate continued its work on thehuman element and maritime safetyawareness-raising. In September,the NMD arranged a major maritimesafety conference with attendancefrom the entire shipping industry.Work on the Labour Inspection(Seafarers) Convention No 178 continuedin 2005 and early in 2006 ahistoric consolidated convention wasadopted by the International LabourOrganization. In 2005, the NMDprepared a comprehensive report onthe basis of annual reports from theindustry’s protection and environmentcommittees. Major flaws are still beingrevealed in the organized protectionand environment work and the conductof risk assessments in the area of shipboardworking and living conditions.In 2005, the NMD processed a totalof 16,902 certificate and endorsementcases, which is 4,426 more cases thanthe previous year.Control and audits of 11 Norwegianmaritime educational institutions andsafety training centres were carriedout. Additionally, audits of maritimeschools in the Philippines were conducted.As for the cultural and leisureservices offered, 770 subscriptions toNorwegian local newspapers were distributedand 325 ships were subscribingto the NMD’s film service. Justover 20,000 books were circulating aspart of the library service, and therewere more than 300 entries for theannual Photo Contest for Seafarers.Maritime legislationThe Norwegian Maritime Directoratehas been heavily involved in preparinga bill on the proposal for up-to-dateship safety legislation, replacing theexisting Seaworthiness Act and expectedto be voted by the Norwegiannational assembly in 2006.Through its participation in theEU’s MarSec Committee, the NMDhas also contributed to the work onprotective security measures for shipsand mobile offshore units. The NMDFoto: Tomren, Fotokonkurransen for sjøfolk 2005 Foto: Jo Even Tomren, Fotokonkurransen for sjøfolk 2005Norvald Kjerstad, Fotokonkurransen for sjøfolk 2005also laid down a regulation concerningthe obligations of the shipmaster andshipping company in the event that acriminal offence of a serious nature iscommitted on board ship, and concerningnotification of missing persons.In the first half of 2005, the NMDlaid down a regulation on the acceleratedphasing-in of double-hull orequivalent design requirements forsingle-hull oil tankers. A new chapteron noise was added to the OccupationalSafety and Health Regulation of 1January 2005. Other legislation workin progress in 2005 included regulationson diving, radiocommunicationsfor cargo ships, and navigational aidsand bridge, wheelhouse and radio arrangementson ships. A regulation wasalso prepared on the construction andoperation of gas-powered passengerships.Control and supervisionIn all, 260 ISM audits were conductedon board passenger ships, cargo shipsand mobile offshore units for which asafety management system is required,and 229 unscheduled inspections wereperformed. 72 vessels were detainedon grounds of defects or deficiencies.Newbuilding activity increased steeplyin 2005 for both cargo and passengerships, while the number of processedoffshore and fishing fleet cases wasroughly the same as in 2004.Under the Paris MOU port Stateregime, 575 foreign ships were inspectedwhen calling at a Norwegianport, 16 of which were detained ongrounds of defects or deficiencies.Other port States inspected 829Norwegian- flagged ships, 12 of whichwere detained.Marine casualtiesIn 2005, 821 work-related personal injurieswere reported in the domesticand foreign trades. Seven people losttheir lives. In the fishing fleet, 214 personalinjury reports were received andfive people died.In the Norwegian MaritimeDirectorate’s marine casualty database, 218 cases were registered in2005. Casulties involving NIS or NORvessels in waters other than along theNorwegian coast increased from 43 to58 incidents. Collisions, navigation -related incidents and groundingsconstitute the most important marinecasualty categories.The NMD in 2005A process was initiated in 2005 for anobjective and independent review of theNorwegian Maritime Directorate witha view to identifying tasks that can beterminated or delegated to classificationsocieties or approved enterprises. Inaddition, considerable work was doneto prepare for and implement tasksrelated to the relocation of the NMD’shead office to Haugesund. Most relocation-relatedsubprojects went accordingto schedule in 2005. Altogether,113 head office staff, employed priorto the decision by the Norwegian nationalassembly to relocate the agencyand not willing or able to move to theHaugesund area, have chosen variousalternatives such as study grants, outplacementor early retirement.350 manyears were produced in theNMD in 2005, 230 at the head officeand 120 at the 19 local offices (stations)along the Norwegian coast.22Sjøfartsdirektoratet 2005Sjøfartsdirektoratet 200523