Hong Kong Regulations

MERCHANT SHIPPING (SEAFARERS) (TANKERS- OFFICERS AND RATINGS) REGULATION - SCHEDULE 1

SPECIALIZED TRAINING PROGRAMMES

[sections 4(4)(b) & 7]

Oil tankers

1. General

The specialized training programme referred to in section 4(4)(b) of this
Regulation appropriate to duties on oil tankers shall provide theoretical and
practical knowledge of the subjects specified in sections 2 to 7.

2. Regulations and codes of practice

Familiarization with the appropriate provisions of-

   (a)  relevant international conventions;

   (b)  relevant international and national codes;

        (c)	the IMO "Manual on Oil Pollution";


   (d)  relevant tanker safety guides;

   (e)  relevant port regulations as commonly applied.

3. Design and equipment of oil tankers

Familiarization with-

   (a)  piping, pumping, tank and deck arrangements;

   (b)  types of cargo pumps and their application to various types of cargo;

   (c)  tank cleaning, gas-freeing and inerting systems;

   (d)  cargo tank venting and accommodation ventilation;

   (e)  gauging systems and alarms;

   (f)  cargo heating systems;

   (g)  the safety factors of electrical systems.

4. Cargo characteristics

Knowledge of the chemical and physical properties of different oil cargoes.

5. Ship operations

Cargo calculations; loading and discharging plans; loading and discharge
procedures, including ship-to-ship transfers; checklists; use of monitoring
equipment; importance of proper supervision of personnel; gas-freeing
operations and tank cleaning operations; where appropriate, crude oil washing
procedures and the operation and maintenance of inert gas systems; control of
entry into pump-rooms and enclosed spaces; use of gas-detecting and safety
equipment; load-on-top and proper ballasting and deballasting procedures; air
and water pollution prevention.

6. Repair and maintenance

Precautions to be taken before and during repair and maintenance work,
including that affecting pumping, piping, electrical and control systems;
safety factors necessary in the performance of hot work; control of hot work
and proper hot-work procedures.

7. Emergency operations

The importance of developing ship emergency plans; cargo operations emergency
shutdown; action in the event of failure of services essential to cargo; fire
fighting on oil tankers; action following collision, stranding or spillage;
medical first-aid procedures and the use of resuscitation equipment; use of
breathing apparatus for safe entry into and rescue from enclose spaces.

Chemical tankers

8. General

The specialized training programme referred to in section 4(4)(b) of this
Regulation appropriate to duties on chemical tankers shall provide theoretical
and practical knowledge of the subjects specified in sections  9 to 14.

9. Regulations and codes of practice

Familiarization with relevant international conventions and relevant IMO and
national codes and with relevant tanker safety guides and relevant port
regulations as commonly applied.

10. Design and equipment of chemical tankers

A brief description of specialized piping, pumping and tank arrangements,
overflow control; types of cargo pumps and their application to various types
of cargo; tank cleaning and gas-freeing systems; cargo tank venting;
vapour-return systems; accommodation ventilation, airlocks; gauging systems
and alarms; tank temperature control systems and alarms; the safety factors of
electrical systems.

11. Cargo characteristics

Sufficient knowledge of liquid chemical cargo characteristics to allow proper
use of relevant cargo safety guides.

12. Ship operations

Cargo calculations; loading and discharging plans; loading and discharge
procedures; vapour-return systems; checklists; use of monitoring equipment;
gas-freeing operations and tank cleaning operations, including proper use of
absorption and wetting agents and detergents; use and maintenance of inert
atmospheres; control of entry into pump-rooms and enclosed spaces; use of
detecting and safety equipment; disposal of waste and washings.

13. Repair and maintenance

Precautions to be taken before the repair and maintenance of pumping, piping,
electrical and control systems.

14. Emergency operations

The importance of developing ship emergency plans; cargo operations emergency
shutdown; action in the event of failure services essential to cargo; fire
fighting on chemical tankers; action following collision, stranding or
spillage; medical first-aid procedures and the use of resuscitation and
decontamination equipment; use of breathing apparatus and escape equipment;
safe entry into and rescue from enclosed spaces.

Liquefied gas tankers

15. General

The specialized training programme referred to in section 4(4)(b) of this
Regulation appropriate to duties on liquefied gas tankers shall provide
theoretical and practical knowledge of the subjects specified in sections  16
to 26.

16. Regulations and codes of practice

(1) Familiarization with relevant international conventions and relevant IMO,
national and industry codes.

(2) Familiarization with-

   (a)  the ship design and equipment of liquefied gas tankers;

   (b)  types of liquefied gas tankers;

   (c)  cargo-containment systems (construction, surveys);

   (d)  cargo-handling equipment (pumps, piping systems);

   (e)  cargo conditioning systems (warm-up, cool-down);

   (f)  tank atmosphere control systems (inert gas, nitrogen);

   (g)  instrumentation of cargo-containment and cargo-handling systems;

   (h)  fire-fighting system and safety and rescue equipment.

17. Fire fighting

Advanced practical fire-fighting techniques and tactics applicable to
liquefied gas tankers, including the use of water-spray systems.

18. Chemistry and physics

An introduction to basic chemistry and physics as it relates to the safe
carriage of liquefied gases in bulk in ships, covering-

(a) the properties and characteristics of liquefied gases and their vapours,
including-

        (i)    the definition of gas;

        (ii)   simple gas laws;

        (iii)  the gas equation;

        (iv)   density of gases;

        (v)    diffusion and mixing of gases;

        (vi)   compression of gases;

        (vii)  liquefaction of gases;

        (viii) refrigeration of gases;

        (ix)   critical temperature;

        (x)    the practical significance of flashpoint;

        (xi)   upper and lower explosive limits;

        (xii)  auto-ignition temperature;

        (xiii) compatibility of gases;

        (xiv)  reactivity;

        (xv)   polymerization and inhibitors;

   (b)  the properties of single liquids, including-

        (i)    densities of liquids and vapours;

        (ii)   variation with temperature;

        (iii)  vapour pressure and temperature;

        (iv)   enthalpy;

        (v)    vaporization and boiling liquids; and

   (c)  the nature and properties of solutions, including-

        (i)    the solubility of gases in liquids;

        (ii)   miscibility between liquids and effects of temperature change;

        (iii)  densities of solutions and dependence on temperature and
               concentration;

        (iv)   effects of dissolved substances on melting and boiling points;

        (v)    hydrates, their formation and dispersion;

        (vi)   hygroscopicity;

        (vii)  drying of air and other gases;

        (viii) dewpoint and low-temperature effects.

19. Health hazards

Familiarization with health hazards relevant to the carriage of liquefied 
gas, covering-

   (a)  toxicity, including-

        (i)    the modes by which liquefied gases and their vapours may be
               toxic;

        (ii)   the toxic properties of inhibitors and of products of
               combustion of both materials of construction and of
               liquefied gases carried;

        (iii)  acute and chronic effects of toxicity, systemic poisons and
               irritants;

        (iv)   Threshold Limit Value;

   (b)  hazards of skin contact, inhalation and ingestion; and

   (c)  medical first aid and administering of antidotes.

20. Cargo containment

Principles of containment systems; rules; surveys; tank construction,
materials, coatings, insulation and compatibility.

21. Pollution

Hazards to human life and to the marine environment; the effect of specific
gravity and solubility; danger from vapour cloud drift and the jettisoning of
cryogenic liquids.

22. Cargo-handling systems

A description of the main types of pumps and pumping arrangements and
vapour-return systems, piping systems and valves; an explanation of pressure,
vacuum, suction, flow, head; filters and strainers; expansion devices; flame
screens; commonly used inert gases; storage, generation and distribution
systems; temperature and pressure monitoring systems; cargo vent systems;
liquid re-circulation and re-liquefaction systems; cargo gauging,
instrumentation systems and alarms; gas detection and monitoring systems;
carbon dioxide monitoring systems; cargo boil-off systems and auxiliary
systems.

23. Ship operating procedures

Loading and discharging preparations and procedures; checklists; cargo
condition maintenance on passage and in harbour; segregation of cargoes and
procedures for cargo transfer; changing cargoes, tank cleaning procedures;
cargo sampling; ballasting and deballasting; warm up and gas-freeing
procedures; procedures for cool-down of a gas-free system from ambient
temperature and the safety precautions involved.

24. Safety practices and equipment

The function, calibration and use of portable measuring instruments;
fire-fighting equipment and procedures; breathing apparatus; resuscitators;
escape sets; rescue equipment; protective clothing and equipment; entry into
enclosed spaces; precautions to be observed before and during repair and
maintenance of cargo and control systems; supervision of personnel during
potentially hazardous operations; types and principles of certified safe
electrical equipment and sources of ignition.

25. Emergency operations

The importance of developing ship emergency plans; cargo operations emergency
shutdown; emergency cargo valve closing systems; action in the event of
failure of systems or services essential to cargo; action following collision,
stranding, spillage or envelopment of the ship in toxic or flammable vapour.

26. General principles of cargo operations

Inerting cargo tank and void spaces; tank cool-down and loading; operations
during loaded and ballasted voyages; discharging and tank stripping and
emergency procedures, including pre-planned action in the event of leaks,
fire, collision, stranding, emergency cargo discharge and personnel casualty.
(L.N. 107 of 1998)