Lloyd’s Register Requirements for BNWAS

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Anyone who has any of their vessels classified by Lloyd’s Register of Shipping should be aware of one very important requirement that the classification society has stipulated for BNWAS.

While many BNWAS use passive infra red (PIR) sensors to detect movement on the ship’s bridge as a way of automatically resetting the BNWAS, LR do not recognise this technology as an acceptable method of determining the awareness of the OOW.

In their Rules and Regulations for the Classification of Ships, Part 7, Chapter 9, Section 4.2 – Navigational Arrangements and Integrated Bridge Systems, LR state:

4.2.3 Acknowledgement of any alarm is to automatically reset the time interval between warnings. Manual adjustment of controls may also be used for this purpose. Manual adjustment of controls and navigation equipment is to automatically reset the watch safety interval timer. Reset arrangements based on the detection of movement in the bridge are not considered to satisfy this requirement or to confirm well-being and watch-keeping awareness.

In further clarification on this issue Lloyd’s have said:

“Paragraph 4.1.3, 5.1.4, 6.2.2 & 6.2.3 of the performance standard adopted by IMO by its MSC. Res. 128(75) provides the requirement on the reset facilities of BNWAS.

We understand these requirement as such that the reset functionality may be provided by either physical reset push buttons at Officer of the Watch(OOW)’s proper look out positions, e.g. conning position, navigation operation & watch station (radar & ECDIS workstation), wings, etc., or by input from other equipment on the bridge capable of registering operator’s action in positions giving proper look out, e.g. operation of radars or ECDIS.

Movement of OOW (or other thing) detected by the motion sensors in wheelhouse is not sufficient to demonstrate the OOW’s mental alertness as required by 4.1.3.3.

The BNWAS is required to be of a type approved by the Flag administration, therefore the justification of using motion sensors as reset facilities for BNWAS is to be given by the relevant Flag authority.”

Navgard™ - Lloyd’s Register Type Approved BNWAS



Navgard LR Type Approved BNWAS

Martek Marine’s Navgard™ BNWAS is available in versions both with and without PIRs. The version of the system that does not use motion detectors uses manual reset buttons instead and is fully Type Approved by Lloyd’s Register.

The version of the system that incorporates PIRs has Type Approvals from a range of other classification societies who have not interpreted the performance standards in the same way as LR and as such allow motion detection as a simpler and less stressful form of indicating activity on the bridge.

By having a system available in versions that can operate with or without PIRs and that has a full range of Type Approvals from all the major Classification Societies it means that you can source your BNWAS from just one supplier even if you have a variety of classed vessels. This can save you a great deal of time and effort.

Find out more about the Navgard™ BNWAS.