OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES OF MARINE ENGINEERING

As a Marine Engineer there should always be a golden thread that runs throughout  your work and projects, addressing the following main objectives and principles:

Green: Protect the environment against harm as far as possible.

Efficient: Achieve your goals with the minimum resources.

Dependable: A ship or on-board system must be able to perform satisfactorily and safely as, and when, required.

These main objectives listed above are driven by legislation, both national and international. Drivers of legislation mostly are:

  • Statutory
  • Classification
  • Flag State
  • International Standards
  • Industry Standards
  • Ports & Terminals

Green

The “Green” objective in marine engineering focusses on the prevention of the following types of pollution:

  • Chemical Pollution
  • Oil Pollution
  • Air Pollution

International statutory legislation exists that determines the requirements ships, and the designs and systems incorporated therein, must comply with to reduce pollution that negatively affect the biodiversity of our oceans. The main body that specifies these requirements are IMO, The International Maritime Organisation. 

All aspects regarding pollution prevention are contained in the MARPOL convention developed by the IMO.  MARPOL being an acronym for Marine Pollution. This convention consists of the following Annexes addressing different types of pollution that occurs at sea:

  • Annex I (Oil)
  • Annex II (Chemical)
  • Annex III (Harmful Substance in package form)
  • Annex IV (Garbage)
  • Annex V (Sewage)
  • Annex VI (Air pollution)

Other IMO Codes and Conventions that exists to prevent possibilities of pollution at sea, or any other aspects that might put the biodiversity of our oceans in danger are:

  • International Code for the Construction and Equipment for Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk(IBC)
  • International Code for the Construction and Equipment for Ships Carrying Dangerous Gases in Bulk(IGC)
  • International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediment(BWM)

Other IMO Codes and Conventions that exists to prevent possibilities of pollution at sea, or any other aspects that might put the biodiversity of our oceans in danger are:

  • International Code for the Construction and Equipment for Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk(IBC)
  • International Code for the Construction and Equipment for Ships Carrying Dangerous Gases in Bulk(IGC)
  • International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediment(BWM)

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