DNV GL: Owners Advised to Prepare for Cold Conditions in the Arctic
Image Courtesy: DNV GLClassification society DNV GL has cautioned owners calling at ports in Canada and other areas close to the Arctic to prepare for cold conditions in the region.
The owners are obliged to prepare ships, equipment and crew accordingly, which includes paying particular attention to safety and navigation-related equipment which may be damaged or impeded from working properly in extremely low temperatures.
To maintain a safe vessel, and to avoid Port State Control detentions, the owners should pay attention that the equipment and technical systems needed for response to hazards, accidents and emergency situations are regularly tested and readily available.
DNV GL has listed recommendations for navigation in cold climate conditions, which include performing risk assessments to analyze the ship’s current preparedness for operation in low temperatures, as well as preparing the vessel and initiate mitigation actions to ensure smooth operations of all equipment.
Relevant measures to be assessed also include DNV GL Winterized notation and IMO Polar, which both define minimum requirements to the equipment and crew to protect against adverse conditions.
