IMDG and Global Sulphur Cap Workshop

IMDG and Global Sulphur Cap Workshop

A workshop was held in Yangon on 28th of July with the aims of raising awareness about frequent fires occurring onboard container vessels due to the carriage of dangerous cargoes, and the preparations required in advance of the IMO 2020 Global Sulphur Cap.

The event was attended by 250 people: seafarers from Uniteam Marine and other shipping companies, and in- terested parties from related industries.

The morning session focused on the transport of goods covered by the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG). The first speaker was Captain Thein Win, a well-known writer on maritime issues and former examiner from the Department of Marine Administration (DMA). His presentation was entitled “Shipping IMDG cargo in containers and associated fire hazards” and highlighted the frequent fires onboard container vessels involving IMDG cargo.

The second presentation was led by Captain San Moe Aung, one of our instructors from Uniteam Training. The subject was dangerous goods supply chain management and the workshop was attended not only by seafarers but also guests from other industries such as freight forward- ers and logistic & supply chain management companies.

The afternoon session concentrated on the Global Sulphur Cap 2020, set by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and due to come into effect on the 1st of January 2020. The presenter was U Win Aung, the Principle of Wise Wish Engineering and a former Deputy Director from DMA, who is well respected among the Myanmar Marine Engineering community. He explained the regulatory requirements of the Global Sulphur Cap. This was a wide-ranging discussion which considered: fuel supply, alternative fuel options, compliance issues, the pros and cons of scrubber system, open loop & close loop systems, and the pros and cons of using LSFO and LNG as fuel.

The final presentation was given by Captain Tin Maung Tun, Training Director of Uniteam Training. The topic was “Global Sulphur Cap 2020 – The fundamental changes to Global Shipping Industry: Are You Ready?” The presenter discussed preparations to be made for compliance and what to do if something goes wrong. This included risk as- sessment strategies and recommended mitigating actions, Charter Party complications which may arise due to regu- lation changes and the Guidelines for PSC inspection.

Tin Maung Tun, Training Director, Uniteam Training