Revised Annex I of MARPOL 73/78 entered into force on the 1st January 2007. Rule 37.4 of this Annex specifies that all oil tankers of 5000 tons deadweight or more shall have prompt access to computerized, shore-based damage stability and residual structural strength calculation programs.
Emergency Response Service (ERS MEB) created by the Odessa Marine Engineering Bureau functions from 01.01.2007. ERS MEB has at its disposal a set of software complexes that allows to carry out damage stability and residual structural strength calculations and estimations of oil leakage during collisions, groundings, construction breakages, fires, explosions etc. when emergency alternation of loading and/or hull loading ability take place.
All software complexes used by ERS MEB namely "Sigment-MEB", "Sigma-MEB", "Elbrus-MEB", "Ship.03-06", "Dialog-Static", "ISPA" has Type Approval Certificates of Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.
ERS MEB functions round the clock 365 days a year.
ERS MEB has special dedicated communication channels for work.
Emergency response team includes vessel's seakeeping ability expert, vessel's strength expert, engineer-designer and computer system programmer.
This moment there is agreement for entering the following vessels List of companies and vessels into ERS MEB.
On the basis of ERS MEB calculations recommendations to the vessel's masters are worked out. This recommendations help to effect vessel survivability actions and reduce available losses and even to define means for emergency towage convoy.
For fulfilling all mentioned functions data base was created for ERS MEB. This data base due to concrete vessels includes computer descriptions of hull forms and tanks, typical sections, design strength characteristics and typical loading cases.
For the each vessel operational document set is created in the form of ERS Binder which consist as follows:
- Declaration about entering into ERS MEB;
- ERS Onboard Instruction;
- ERS Verification Report with intact and damage stability control calculations;
- Typical ERS report forms: ERS emergency call; ERS Damage Condition Report; Loading Condition Report.
ERS team response time for emergency call doesn't exceed 2 hours from the moment of emergency call receive.
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