Posted: July 6, 2015
In August 2014, full Port State Control enforcement commenced for the International Labour Organization (ILO) Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), following its entry into force a year earlier. The new regime of global employment standards for seafarers is thus being implemented and enforced worldwide, including those ships that might be registered with flags not amongst those 65 nations that have already ratified this important convention.
As with IMO Conventions, the ILO MLC is an organic document. Now that the MLC has entered into force it can be subject to further change. In April 2014, the first such amendments, concerning arrangements to ensure the payment in wages in situations such as a shipping company going bankrupt, were adopted by an ILO Special Tripartite Committee in Geneva at which ICS co-ordinated the Employers Group. These amendments are expected to be fully implemented by 2017. The Special Tripartite Committee is expected to meet again in Geneva, in early 2016, in order to review implementation of the MLC by governments, based on the reports which they are required to submit under the convention.
In October 2014, ICS also represented ship-owners at a meeting with unions and governments that adopted new ILO Guidelines on Seafarers’ Occupational Health & Safety, to help governments implements the relevant provisions of the MLC.
ICS was one of the ILO Social Partners that helped to negotiate the text of the MLC with governments and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). ICS is therefore committed to helping to ensure that the MLC is properly implemented, in order to deliver the ‘level playing field’ of decent working conditions that ship owners need to compete fairly.
Most of the standards in the MLC are already contained in various other ILO maritime regulations and recommendations which the MLC replaces, and are therefore presenting few major challenges for most responsible shipping companies. However, the issuance of flag state certification is new, as in the involvement of classification societies in the inspection of labour standards, with any flag states choosing to delegate their new responsibilities to Recognised Organisations.
Also new are many of the documentary procedures that shipping companies are now required to follow in order to demonstrate on-going compliance. In particular, ships must now prepare and maintain a Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance (DMLC) that is attached to the Maritime Labour Certificate.
ICS efforts continue to be focused on explaining the obligations of shipping companies, primarily through the ISF Guidelines on the Application of the MLC, which have sold around 15,000 copies. Whilst there are similarities with the IMO International Safety Management (ISM) Code, there are also important differences.
Particularly important is the advice that ICS has developed concerning the preparation of the DMLC Part II. An important function of the Declaration is to set out where evidence of continuous compliance with the MLC can be found on board the ship. This includes records of measures that have been taken, and the procedures to be followed in the event that potential non-compliance has been identified, for example an individual seafarer being found to have had insufficient rest. ICS is therefore advocating a model that is intended to be concise but comprehensive. Given that declaration will be subject to careful scrutiny by MLC inspectors acting on behalf of governments, it is important for companies and ships’ officers to invest time and effort in its preparation and maintenance.
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Posted:
Today we were delighted to welcome crew members from “Meangadh FÃbÃn” who are currently filming a new series called “Is Eolaà Mé” for TG4 which is scheduled to be aired in January 2016. The series, “Is Eolaà Mé” (I’m a scientist) , looks at the various aspects of science, technology and the maritime sector. To date the crew have filmed in a recycling centre, on the Celtic Voyager, the National Maritime College of Ireland and have a busy schedule lined up for the coming weeks before going to the studio back in Galway in September to edit.
Peadar, the show’s presenter, was introduced to the life of a mariner this morning at the NMCI as he donned gear and experienced our environmental pool (Check out the environmental pool facilities below). Peadar was filmed in stormy conditions in one of our life rafts.
Once the crew arrived on site, they began filming outside the college where Peadar spoke about the college facilities, the ever changing weather in Ireland and how many professions are reliant on the weather e.g. Mariners . Once this scene had been shot the crew moved up to the pool area where Peadar was getting ready to experience the “Stormy” weather conditions. The film crew took several shots and even used a Go Pro Camera & Drone to film some scenes. Two of our instructors, Elizabeth & Cillian, were with the film crew this morning alongside our Senior SNO Instructor Terry O’Brien. Safety is paramount during any training exercise and even during filming the safety of delegates is paramount. Check out some of the behind the scenes pictures below which were taken this morning.
Coiméad súil amach ar an laethanach seo le haghaidh tuilleadh eolas faoin sraith nua a bheadh ag teacht amach i mà Éanáir 2016. We had to put in some Gaeilge there as the show will be as Gaeilge . Keep an eye out on our page here for further information on the new tv series which is due to be aired in January 2016.
Our “Sea Survival Pool” is 20m x 8m indoor pool where the temperature is maintained at 21oC. It has a depth of 5m at its deepest end which extends for 7.5m and a depth of 2.5m at the shallow end. The environmental conditions which can be created include :
- Wave generator with variable setting
- Wind generated by large fans
- Rain sprinkler system
- Thunder and lightning using strobe lights and audio effects
- Day and night capability
Equipment and facilities at the environmental pool include :
- A dive tank (8m deep, 4m diameter) for training divers in underwater burning and welding
- Helicopter Underwater Escape Trainer (HUET) for ditched helicopter evacuation training
- Marine evacuation system (MES) including landing platform
- A large variety of inflatable life rafts and associated equipment
- Jumping platforms at 1, 2, 4 and 6 metre heights
- A comprehensive selection of dry suits, wetsuits, life jackets and PFD’s
- Pool side safety equipment
- Numerous survival equipment display boards
- Life raft repair room
- Divers workshop
- Changing rooms with showers, lockers and WC’s
- Disabled changing facilities
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Posted: June 29, 2015
Once again SNO (SEFtec NMCI Offshore) are set to break records by training over 240 delegates from the State of Maine Maritime Academy over a 4 day period this week. With all hands on deck it’s set to be a busy week here at the National Maritime College of Ireland. The delegates who are currently on a trip to Ireland decided to use the world class facilities at the NMCI to complete training.
The delegates are currently completing exercises in the pool such as a PST , completing exercises in our Damage Repair Unit and completing training on our jetty. It is an honour for the NMCI to be chosen as the training providers and we would like to officially welcome all delegates. We will be keeping our twitter account updated with pictures of the delegates completing different elements of training but as a taster we have some for you below.   Â
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