Products & services

Biosafety trust certification to mitigate the risk of infection and renew confidence

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Products & services Products & services

Published: 07 April 2020 07 April 2020

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and to help restart economic activity RINA has devised the Biosafety Trust Certification, the first management system certification aimed at the prevention and mitigation of the spread of infections in public places and to provide greater health safety.

The new management system provides a set of best practices to help minimize the risks of spreading epidemics in crowded places such as public transport, entertainment and sporting venues (restaurants, theaters, gyms, museums, swimming pools), accommodation facilities (hotels, congress centers, cruise ships) and healthcare structures like retirement and care homes.

The Biosafety Trust Certification is based on the ISO’s systematic approach to management systems combined with scientific best practices against the spread of infections together with the principles of organizational behavior management (OBM) to effectively control and prevent a contagion in a work context.

The success of health safety management systems also depends on human behavior. To comply with strict hygiene rules the system also requires staff to undergo ad hoc training courses for specific situations. The system also requires that individual users are made aware of and follow the recommended preventative measures.

The requirements of this new tool can be integrated into common existing management systems such as ISO 45001 supplementing these systems with specific procedures focused on the prevention and control of infections.

All certificates issued by the Biosafety Trust Certification will also be made available on public blockchain to allow for inspection and verification.

One of the objectives of the certification is to instill confidence in the stakeholders, a principle that is ever valid in this specific context of emergency. RINA immediately started the accreditation process of the scheme with ACCREDIA, to guarantee its reliability and respect by part of RINA of the requirements of competence, independence and impartiality required by international standards in carrying out the activity.

Nello Sulfaro, CEO of RINA Services, commented: “We firmly believe that now is the time to start thinking about how to deal with the second phase of this health emergency. By bringing together a number of our core competences, RINA has been able to offer a new preemptive scheme that can help tourism and entertainment companies to improve the health and safety of its workers and customers and to minimize the risks posed by the spread infections”.

The Biosafety Trust Certification is designed for the entertainment and tourism sectors but can also be applied to many other sectors.

Marinfloc to provide significant cost savings with a combined separator for EGR and Bilge

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Products & services Products & services

Published: 25 March 2020 25 March 2020

Marinfloc today announced its combined Exhaust Gas Recirculation Bleed Off water treatment system and Bilge water separator. Its innovative solution is approved by both DNV GL and MAN Energy Solutions and fulfils the requirements of MEPC 107(49) and MEPC 307(73). The approval means that only one separator is required instead of two. Reducing the amount of equipment needed on a vessel will provide shipyards, engine makers and ship owners with a significant cost saving solution.

Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) is used to reduce NOx as per the Tier III requirements when use with compliant fuel. The EGR process will generate a portion of bleed off water that must be treated to < 15 PPM which is also the requirement for bilge water. By combining the two treatment systems, the Capital Expenditures will be significantly reduced without any negative impact on performance. Additionally, there will also be a welcomed reduction in Operating Expenditures as maintenance, spare parts and training are needed only for one unit.

The system is based on Marinfloc’s well-known flocculation technology with thousands of references worldwide. The Whitebox is included as standard to segregate the waste streams, to eliminate cross contamination and record all activities. Moreover, the Whitebox fulfils the EXXON requirements and is Marinfloc’s recommendation on all US calling vessels.

“Both treatment units are mandatory, so why not combine them. It would be foolish to have a separate treatment unit that might not even be in use for the majority of the year. This way neither crew nor owners will lose any sleep going into NECAs as they are already operating the unit on a daily basis” says Martin Gombrii MD at Marinfloc S&P.

The development of this solution started back in 2016 at MAN Energy Solutions facilities in Copenhagen and concluded when DNV GL approved the system design in early 2020.

“Sometimes new products are done overnight, sometimes they take five years. Looking at the result I’m glad that we didn’t rush anything. We have developed a truly unique product and are proud to be a MAN Energy Solutions approved supplier” says Benny Carlson, Chairman of Marinfloc.

Inmarsat supports seafarers during global health crisis with 50% voice call discounts and free COVID-19 video call service

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Products & services Products & services

Published: 05 April 2020 05 April 2020

In a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on seafarer well-being, Inmarsat has formalised a 50% discount for crew voice calling services available for up to 40,000 ships for three months until the end of June.

The leading maritime satellite service provider is also ensuring that calls made to the SeafarerHelp service provided by welfare organisation ISWAN (International Seafarers’ Welfare Assistance Network) are available free of charge over the same period. Inmarsat is also working with crew healthcare specialist Vikand and software platform provider FrontM, to provide a free COVID-19 video call service with a trained health professional.

The voice call discount offer is available day and night from April 2 for three months to Inmarsat retail customers using FleetBroadband ChatCard voice services and to wholesale partners offering FleetBroadband voice calls under the legacy Crew Calling ‘SQT’ brand. Steps are also being taken to accelerate the launch of ChatCard services for Fleet Xpress, with an introductory discount.

“We recognise the unprecedented situation facing seafarers, as the global maritime industry responds to the challenges of COVID-19. The work of the maritime industry is more important than ever before, and essential to keeping global trade flowing and ensuring that vital supplies reach those in need,” says Ronald Spithout, President, Inmarsat Maritime.

“We have been providing free additional call time for ChatCard voice service users since February but we have also been talking and listening to shipowners and managers and long-standing partners such as ISWAN, Sailors’ Society, Seafarers UK, Mission to Seafarers and Apostleship of the Sea. It has become clear that, above all other forms of contact, being able to talk to family, friends and colleagues is critical for the health and well-being of seafarers during these difficult times.”

“Today we are formalising the 50% discount for seafarer voice calls for three months. FleetBroadband retail customers are eligible immediately and even if they currently don’t use the ChatCard service, they can sign up today to provide the offer direct to their crews and we will make the process as easy as possible. We are also rolling this through to wholesale partners via our Crew Calling (SQT) service and strongly recommend they pass on the full saving to crew.”

Through Inmarsat retail channels, Spithout says the 50% discount is available to all users of the ChatCard service, which seafarers call upon for around 600,000 minutes every month. For reasons of transparency, he says that tariffs for services through wholesale channels may vary because partners negotiate call termination costs separately with local networks.

Having previously scheduled the launch of ChatCard services via Fleet Xpress later in 2020, Spithout says that every effort is now being made to fast-track its introduction, so that seafarers on the 8,500 plus Fleet Xpress-installed vessels, who can already get unlimited high-speed data services are assured that high voice call use does not bring any additional financial burden.

Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress retail users will also be able to benefit immediately from the launch of a free of charge COVID-19 video call service with a trained health professional, especially developed in conjunction with crew health management solutions provider Vikand and software platform provider FrontM to help shipping cope with the impact of the crisis, he adds.

“This is a pro bono service over our dedicated bandwidth service, Fleet Connect, from one of our Certified Application Provider partners which allows the Master or Chief Officer to connect by video call to a trained health professional from Vikand offering real-time advice on the coronavirus, its symptoms and what to look out for. This is not a clinical care or emergency service, but it is a vital information resource to help crew at a difficult time for everyone. This will initially be rolled out for our Fleet Xpress retail base but we are very keen to provide this for our wholesale partners and will be reaching out to them over the next week on how this can be implemented,” concluded Spithout.

MAN to supply engines for Tallink newbuilding

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Products & services Products & services

Published: 24 March 2020 24 March 2020

MAN Energy Solutions has won the order to supply the engines for a shuttle ferry newbuilding for Tallink Grupp, the Estonian shipping company. A diesel-electric plant comprising 5 × MAN 51/60DF dual-fuel main engines – with LNG as primary fuel – will power the MyStar, which Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) will construct at its yard in SW Finland. Delivery to the customer is scheduled for early 2022. Upon entering service, the vessel will serve the important Tallinn-Helsinki route.

Lex Nijsen, Head of Four-Stroke Marine Sales, MAN Energy Solutions said: “Finland is always such an innovative market and it’s very pleasing to land this order. This agreement marks the second car and passenger ferry for RMC this year and we are very pleased that they have chosen to go with our 51/60DF units this time. The engines performed strongly on the test bed, showcasing such characteristic advantages as load behavior and pure gas start, which ultimately led Tallink to choose MAN.”

The ferry newbuilding NB6003 will utilise the newest technology and innovative solutions, with the aim of building the most environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient vessel possible.

Jyrki Heinimaa, CEO, Rauma Marine Constructions said: “Compared to Tallink’s newest shuttle ferry, Megastar, which also operates between Helsinki and Tallinn, the MyStar’s design – featuring the MAN main drivers – will reduce the ferry’s emissions even further.”

Nijsen added “This is the second agreement we have made for the 51/60DF within a short period of time in the Baltic after TT-Line placed its RoPax order earlier this year. With this new order, we are really putting the 51/60DF – and MAN engines in general – in the shop window at a time when the Finnish market has many interesting projects underway. We look forward to the future with confidence.”

The NB6003 Tallink MyStar is the biggest vessel to date that RMC has agreed to build. The new shuttle ferry will be approximately 212 metres long with a gross tonnage of some 50,000 dwt. It will be able to accommodate 2,800 passengers.