Shipmaster’s Ballast Water Management Manual, BIMCO, Version 2.0

Published: February 2020

The background for this publication is the new regulations relating to ballast water that have changed dramatically in recent years and the operational aspect of the running of a ship has undergone a major overhaul.

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What has not changed, is the need for ships’ compliance. Port state control regimes focus on the ship’s crew to check their understanding and how they apply new and existing regulations in their daily work. What the shipmaster needs here is a one stop shop where he can quickly get acquainted with the new changes in the regulations, check the ship for continued compliance and ensure inspection happens smoothly. The Shipmaster’s ballast water management manual is a tool that does just that.

The main elements of the Shipmaster’s Ballast Water Management Manual are:

• Overview of the regulation: The manual gives an overview of the regulations in an practical way, not just the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments (IMO BWM convention), but also the US ballast water regulations and all the relevant circulars and guidelines associated with it. The US part was not included in the first version. This manual should assist the shipmaster and the officers to feel at ease with the new changes.

• Checklist: The ballast water management compliance checklist included in this manual helps to ensure relevant aspects of BWM have been covered on the ship.

• Planning for compliance: The Chapter on “Planning for compliance” gives an opportunity to the shipmasters to review their safety management system (SMS) and see if all aspects of ballast water management are properly covered in it.

• Quick reference: At times, during PSC or other inspections, a quick reference to a relevant circular or a guideline may be required. The circulars and guidelines contained in this manual come in handy to a Master during those stressful times.

This manual was first Published: in 2017, before the entry into force of the IMO BWM convention. It is now in its 2nd version, where a number of new topics have been added and the old information completely updated.

Contents

Foreword

Definitions and Acronyms

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 The issue and the associated risks

Chapter 3 The IMO Ballast Water Management Convention

Application

Reception facilities

Port state control

Section A - General provisions

Section B - Requirements for management and control onboard ships

Regulation B-3 Ballast water management on ships

Regulation B-4 Ballast Water Exchange (BWE)

Section D - Standards for Ballast Water Management (BWM)

Section E - Survey and certification requirements for ballast water management

Regulation E-1 Surveys

Chapter 4 United States of America ballast water regulations

History of US regulations

Regulations in detail

Compliance options

IMO Convention vs US regulations

Deviation from a planned voyage

Ballast water management reporting guidance

EPA-NPDES

Shipboard technology evaluation program (STEP)

Some important additional requirements by the States

Vessel Incident Discharge Act (VIDA)

Discharge of ballast in extraordinary circumstances

Additional information

Non-compliance and penalisation

Port state control

Chapter 5 Planning for compliance

SMS procedures

Ballast water management systems (BWMS)

Designated officer

Training

Port state control inspections (PSC)

Initial inspection (First stage)

Detailed inspection (Second stage)

Sample analysis (Third and Fourth stage)

Detainable deficiencies

Multipurpose tanks in ballast system

Sediment management

Communication with the destination port

Experience building phase and non-penalisation of ships

Checklist - 01 – Checklist for ballast water management compliance

Annexes

List of Resolutions and Circulars

Annex Resolution/Circular Title – IMO resolutions and circulars Remarks Page

1 BWM.2/Circ.20 Guidance to ensure safe handling and storage of chemicals and preparations used to treat ballast water and the development of safety procedures for risks to the ship and crew resulting from the treatment process

2 BWM.2/Circ.62 Guidance on contingency measures under the BWM Convention

3 BWM.2/Circ.17 Guidance document on arrangements for responding to emergency situations involving ballast water operations

4 BWM.2/Circ.63 Application of the Convention to ships operating in sea areas where ballast water exchange in accordance with regulations B-4.1 and D-1 is not possible

5 MSC-MEPC.4/Circ.2 Code of good practice for port state control officers

6 MEPC.252(67) Guidelines for port State control under the BWM Convention

7 MEPC.173(58) Guidelines for ballast water sampling (G2)

8 BWM.2/Circ.42/Rev.1 Guidance on ballast water sampling and analysis for trial use in accordance with the BWM Convention and Guidelines (G2) Supersedes BWM.2/Circ.42

9 BWM.2/Circ.42/Rev.1/Corr.1 Guidance on ballast water sampling and analysis for trial use in accordance with the BWM Convention and Guidelines (G2)

10 MEPC.127(53) Guidelines for ballast water management and development of ballast water management plans (G4)

11 MEPC.306(73) Amendments to the guidelines for ballast water management and development of ballast water management plans

12 MEPC.123(53) Guidelines for ballast water management equivalent compliance (G3)

13 MEPC.161(56) Guidelines for additional measures regarding ballast water management including emergency situations (G13)

14 BWM.2/Circ.70 Guidance for the commissioning testing of ballast water management systems

15 MEPC.188(60) Installation of ballast water management systems on new ships in accordance with the application dates contained in the ballast water management Convention (BWM Convention) 125

16 MEPC.299(72) Amendments to the Intl. Convention for the control and management of ship’s ballast water and sediments, 2004 - 2018 (regulations E-1 and E-5 – Endorsements of additional surveys on the International Ballast Water Management Certificate) 126

17 BWM.2/Circ.7 Interim Survey Guidelines for the purpose of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments under the Harmonized System of Survey and Certification (resolution A.948(23)) 128

18 MEPC.297(72) 2018 (regulation B-3 – Implementation schedule of ballast water management for ships) Amendments

19 MEPC.298(72) Determination of the survey referred to in regulation B-3, as amended, of the BWM Convention

20 BWM.2/Circ.8 Harmonized implementation of the Guidelines for approval of Ballast Water Management Systems (G8)