Guidelines for ROs when recommending an exemption for a BNWAS installed Minimum requirements

The Estonian Maritime Administration has issued Guidelines for ROs when recommending an exemption for a BNWAS installed prior to 1st of July 2011 requirement which are not in full compliance with the MSC.128(75) when the following minimum requirements are fulfilled:

1. The BNWAS operational modes can be selected between

• Manual ON (in operational constantly) and
• Manual OFF (does not operate under any circumstances);

2. The selection of the operational modes is protected by a key switch or password;

3. Once operational the system remains dormant for a period between 3 and 12 min;

4. At the end of this dormant period a visual indication is initiated on the bridge;

5. If not reset, the system sounds additionally a first stage audible alarm on the bridge 15s after the visual indication is initiated;

6. If not reset, the system sounds additionally a second stage remote audible alarm in the back-up officer and/or Master's location 15s after the first stage;

7. If not reset the system sounds additionally a third stage remote audible alarm at the locations of further crew members min. 90s and max. 180s after the second stage;

8. The audible alarm for the third stage is easily identifiable by its sound and indicates urgency. Moreover the sound must clearly distinguish itself from the fire alarm, general alarm etc;

9. The reset push buttons are only available in positions on the bridge giving proper look out, i.e. conning position, workstation for navigation and maneuvering, the workstation for monitoring and the bridge wings;

10. The BNWAS is connected to a distribution panel supplied from Main Switchboard.

Navgard - The World's No.1 BNWAS

If your current system does not meet the minimum criteria or you do not have a system in place then the Navgard BNWAS from Martek Marine can provide you with the easiest and most cost effective route to compliance. Find out more...

Martek lands BNWAS deal for V.Ships’ fleet

Martek Marine has secured a contract to supply its Navgard Bridge Navigation Watch Alarm System (BNWAS) to Seacom Electronics, the UK subsidiary of global ship management services giant V.Ships.

Navgard BNWAS

Southampton-headquartered Seacom has placed an initial order for a Navgard BNWAS compliance package comprising a Navgard panel with two weatherproof external resets, an internal reset, three cabin alarms and four high intensity audio visual alarms.

Martek will also deliver items including an illuminated push-button reset for the bridge, a bridge wing reset button, officer cabin alarm and a high intensity corridor audio-visual alarm.

The initial contract is expected to be followed by orders for further packages to be installed on V.Ships’ vessels during the next three years.

Martek’s Navgard system is designed to comply with SOLAS Regulation V/19 as amended by MSC.282(86), which requires a BNWAS to be installed on all new and existing cargo and passenger vessels. The system also meets the requirements of the performance standards set out by MSC.128(75) & IEC 62616.

The Navgard system comprises either a bulkhead-mounted or console-mounted control panel with an onboard Passive Infra-Red (PIR) movement detector that offers a 10m range. The system is highly modular, enabling it to accommodate any bridge size and layout, and has been designed to facilitate and speed up the installation process.

Navgard is the world’s first BNWAS system fully type approved by all major classification societies, and this was a particularly important factor in Seacom’s decision to opt for Martek’s technology, according to Neil Sayce, managing director of Seacom Electronics.

“This saved us from the hidden costs and risks associated with getting additional approvals,” he said.

Under the terms of the SOLAS amendment all new cargo ships over 150gt and all new passenger ships of any size constructed after July 1 2011 have to be equipped with a BNWAS. Furthermore, all existing passenger ships and cargo vessels over 3,000gt have to be equipped not later than the first special survey after July 1 2012 and all existing cargo ships over 500gt by the first survey after July 1 2013. The final category of vessels, cargo ships over 150gt, will have to comply by July 1 2014.

“The importance of this agreement with Seacom cannot be overstated,” said Paul Luen, chief executive officer of Martek. “Seacom expects to order significant numbers of further ship sets during the mandatory compliance schedule for BNWAS.”

Based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, Martek Marine is one of the world’s leading suppliers of safety and environmental monitoring systems to the marine industry. As well as BNWAS, Martek Marine offers systems for engine emissions monitoring, gas detection, water level detection and cargo tank monitoring.

Seacom Electronics installs and services a wide range of communication, navigation and entertainment systems for all vessel types. Its parent company, V.Ships, is the world’s largest supplier of ship management services, supporting a fleet of over 1,000 vessels. The managed fleet comprises a broad range of vessel types including tankers, bulk carriers and containerships as well as specialised ships, such as offshore vessels.
 
Find out more about Navgard - the World's No.1 BNWAS