Package aims to help operators mitigate fire, bacteria and equipment failure risk
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Italy-based passenger ferry classification society RINA has launched a major safety initiative for ro-pax ferries.
Building on RINA’s recent work with major cruise and ferry lines such as Carnival Cruise Line, MSC Cruises and Moby Lines, the new Asset Integrity Management package aims to provide ro-pax operators with tailored risk management services.
“With over 300 ferries in our class we are the world leaders in ro-pax ferry safety and we feel that we should show a lead in safety standards which go beyond regulatory basics,” said Paolo Moretti, general manager of Marine at RINA Services. “Our experience shows that operation and maintenance of these vessels merit particular attention. Extending targeted risk-management to ro-pax operation will bring benefits for operators and in overall safety.”
The Asset Integrity Management package combines a fire risk identification and mitigation service, a series of crises and behavioural training courses for crew and shoreside staff, and a service to mitigate the risk of one piece of equipment failing and impacting the ship’s overall operations. It also covers condition-based monitoring, planned maintenance and a service to assess and mitigate the risks caused by bacteria.
“What we are doing is bringing the disciplines used in offshore industry into passenger ship operations,” said Moretti. “As it goes beyond prescriptive requirements the package can be tailored to the individual circumstances, ships and routes of each operator. Our experience helps them to focus on the things that might go wrong and the consequences if they do, and then our risk management services help to find ways to limit the likelihood of those critical issues going wrong.”
Italian operator Grimaldi Lines, which is the first company to use new package, will implement the measures on the 954-passenger ro-pax ferry Florencia.