Panama: Guidelines on Early Assessment of Hull Damage and Possible Need for Abandonment of Bulk Carriers

The Panama Maritime Authority has published the Guidelines on Early Assessment of Hull Damage and Possible Need for Abandonment of Bulk Carriers, on Board of Panamanian Flagged Vessels.

Purpose

The objective of this document is to communicate the recommendations of the International Maritime Organization's Maritime Safety Committee.

These recommendations stem from formal safety assessment (FSA) studies focusing on enhancing safety aspects related to bulk carriers.

The Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization concluded in its MSC Circular 1143 on December 13, 2004, that bulk carriers warrant ongoing special attention.

A series of approved measures were outlined to address identified issues encompassing both structural and operational aspects.

Scope

These guidelines are applicable to bulk carriers and extend to other vessel types when transporting dense cargoes.

Requirement

The Panama Maritime Authority strongly encourages companies, as defined in the ISM Code, operating bulk carriers under its flag to issue ship-specific guidance.

This guidance, based on the attached Guidelines, aims to enhance precautionary measures and emergency procedures on board.

Companies are urged to ensure that this ship-specific guidance is conveyed to all crew members during familiarization training on Panamanian Flag-registered vessels.

This merchant marine circular (MMC-164) was published on 1 November 2023.

For more information, please see the document below (available only to subscribers):

Guidelines on Early Assessment of Hull Damage and Possible Need for Abandonment of Bulk Carriers, on Board of Panamanian Flagged Vessels