SAFETY OF THE ENVIRONMENTSAFETY OF THE ENVIRONMENT

SAFETY OF THE ENVIRONMENT

INTRODUCTION

Any discussion regarding safety must include safety of the environment. Included here are excerpts from the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association's Code of Environmental Practice that directly affect the operation of support vessels.

As compliance with the above is becoming a frequent requirement of the contract or charter party that the support vessels work, under it is reasonable that this Code should reflect similar requirements.

MARINE SUPPORT

Supply ships and other vessels supporting the offshore installation have the potential to cause significant environmental effects over a larger area than does the installation itself. Vessels plying between the installation and the shore may inadvertently transport adverse impacts into shallower coastal waters inherently more sensitive and subject to a wider range of uses. To avoid such impacts member companies should ensure that:

1. support vessels comply with all State and Commonwealth legislation for the control of pollution of the sea;

2. pumping of bilges, or discarding of spillage or other oil wastes does not occur unless the oil concentration of these wastes is within the statutory limit for direct discharge of such wastes;

3. particular care is taken to ensure goods and materials or refuse and other wastes are properly packaged for transportation and transfer;

4. blowing of dry waste from bulk tanks (e.g. residual drilling muds, cement etc.) whilst en route from offshore facilities to shore base is not done as it is in breach of sea dumping legislation;

5. refuelling and similar operations are conducted in accordance with port authority requirements and all hoses, fittings and fail safe devices are fully operational; and

6. provision is made for sewage treatment or retention on board for onshore disposal according to statutory requirements.

Where supply vessels and associated equipment form part of the inventory of equipment for the company's oil spill contingency plan, the vessels and equipment must be maintained in good order and at the appropriate levels of availability. Where changes are made to the configuration of a vessel to carry special cargoes etc, and these changes materially affect its role in an oil spill situation, the relevant co-ordinating authorities must be advised;