Ships to Carry "Black Boxes"

(Sea Venture Volume 20)

Passenger ships and ships other than passenger ships of 3000 GT and upwards constructed on or after 1 July 2002 will have to carry voyage data recorders (VDRs) to assist in accident investigations, under new regulations adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The mandatory regulations were among a number of amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS) adopted by IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), at its 73^rd session

Like the black boxes carried on aircraft, VDRs enable accident investigators to review various control parameters in the moments before an incident and help to identify the cause of any accident. The regulations for VDRs are contained in a revised Chapter V (Safety of Navigation) of SOLAS which also makes it mandatory for certain ships to carry an automatic identification system (AIS).¹

VDR Requirements

The VDR requirements are part of a new revised Chapter V of SOLAS on Safety of Navigation. The following ships will be required to carry VDRs, under regulation 20 of the new SOLAS Chapter V:

• passenger ships constructed on or after 1 July 2002;
• ro-ro passenger ships constructed before 1 July 2002, not later than the first survey on or after 1 July 2002;
• passenger ships other than ro-ro passenger ships constructed before 1 July 2002, not later than 1 January 2004; and
• ships, other than passenger ships, of 3,000 GT and upwards constructed on or after 1 July 2002.

VDRs are required to meet performance standards "not inferior to those adopted by the Organization" ² . Performance standards for VDRs were adopted in 1997 ³ and give details on data to be recorded and VDR specifications. They state that the VDR should continuously maintain sequential records of pre-selected data items relating to status and output of the ship's equipment and command and control of the ship. The data items to be recorded are:

• Date and time
• Ship’s position
• Speed
• Heading
• Bridge audio
• Communications audio
• Radar data, post-display selection
• Echo-sounder
• Main alarms
• Rudder order and response
• Engine order and response
• Hull openings status
• Watertight and fire door status
• Accelerations and hull stresses
• Wind speed and direction

The performance standards also require VDR to be installed in a protective capsule that is brightly coloured and fitted with an appropriate device to aid location. It should also be entirely automatic in normal operation.

Under the new regulation, all VDRs must undergo an annual performance test.

Administrations may exempt ships, other than ro-ro passenger ships, constructed before 1 July 2002, from being fitted with a VDR where it can be demonstrated that interfacing a VDR with the existing equipment on the ship is unreasonable and impracticable.

Study to examine VDRs for existing cargo ships

The MSC adopted a resolution on the carriage of VDRs on existing cargo ships, which calls for a feasibility study to be carried out to ascertain the need for mandatory carriage of VDRs on these ships. The feasibility study, to be carried out by the Sub-Committee on Safety of Navigation (and other Sub-Committees as appropriate), will take into account such factors as practicability, technical problems relating to the retrofitting of VDRs, adequacy of existing performance standards including the possible development of simplified standards, experience in the use of VDRs on ships already fitted with them, including data that could not have been obtained without VDRs, and relevant financial implications, including a cost-benefit analysis.

The aim is to finalize the study by January 2004 so that, if the study demonstrates a compelling need for mandatory carriage of VDRs on existing cargo ships, relevant amendments to SOLAS Chapter V and the associated performance standards can be drafted. In the meantime, the resolution invites Governments to encourage shipowners to install VDRs on existing cargo ships voluntarily, so that wide experience of their use may be gained.⁴

Update

VDR became a requirement for Cargo Ships with effect from 1 July 2006. Click here to read more

¹ AIS requirements are discussed in the article which follows.
² IMO
³ "Performance Standards For Shipborne Voyage Data Recorders (VDRs)" adopted by resolution A.861(20) on 27 November 1997
⁴ This article is based on information given in IMO briefings 28 and 29 2000 on the MSC 73^rd Session, 27 November – 6 December 2000.