Martek welcomes new starters on board as the maritime company continues to expand

June has been a busy month at both our UK and Singapore offices, as we welcomed on board new starters in across all departments.

As Martek Marine to grow, Stephen Lapthorne has joined the team as our Finance Director. An accountant by profession, Steve has developed his career working in other successful privately-owned business around Yorkshire, as well as a 4 year period in an IT consultancy in New York.

Telesales Executive Deon Jacobs, has many years’ experience in sales and business development roles. He also has experience in event organising and management.

Our Asia Pacific team has also been expanding as Queenie Jeow and Stacey Gan joined the sales team. Queenie joins our team with 10 years of working in sales and purchasing. She will now be part of Martek’s ever expanding Fastcalgas Sales Coordinator team.

Stacy is looking forward to a new challenge at Martek, having previously worked in telemarketing and face to face sales, most recently within the energy industry. We’re excited to welcome the super-energetic Stacy to our Singapore office.

Jack Marsh is our youngest new recruit as he joins us as a Business Administration Apprentice. He will gain experience in all sectors of Martek from sales and service to finance and marketing. He is hoping his apprenticeship enables him to gain a sound knowledge of all areas within the business, as he exclaims he is “very excited to be joining a company as successful as Martek.”

And our newest recruit to the team is Regional Sales Manager, Gary Rees. Gary has over 12 years of experience with international sales in electro-optics industry.

We are now looking to bring on-board various roles throughout our South Yorkshire headquarters, including Regional Sales Manager, Fastcalgas Coordinator and Engineering Manager.

If you’re remarkable and want to be a part of the ever expanding Martek team, visit the careers page of the website to apply for any of the above vacancies and see what other roles we’re recruiting for. 

New drinking water tests from Martek reduce risk from potentially fatal pathogens

Martek Marine, leading manufacturer of maritime safety equipment, is introducing potable water testing kits to its product range, designed to meet the regulations on drinking water which come into force with the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) in August 2013. The only standard kit guaranteed to meet all legislation and flag state requirements, Drinksafe has been designed to be the easiest kit on the market, providing effective testing for the presence of harmful bacteria and toxins, corrosion related contaminants and pH/Chlorine levels.



Martek’s Drinksafe is easy to use and requires no calibration, saving unnecessary spending on calibrations and saving crew from complicated and time consuming procedures. Drinksafe does not use glass ampoules or messy sample bags, and is robust enough for use on-board as well as light, waterproof and small enough for simple stowage when not in use.

Multi-language instructional videos explain the testing process, while simple-use diagrams remind exactly how the kit should be used. Drinksafe contains 2000 tests, more than any other on the market and enough to last a whole year for one vessel. This provides a comparative cost per test that is over 50% lower than the closest comparative test kit.

Drinksafe comes in a rugged all-in-one waterproof storage box which protects from damage and keeps components together in labeled, segmented areas.

Guidelines on the provision of drinking water at sea are currently provided by numerous different bodies including the World Health Organisation, the International Labour Organisation and national health organisations and maritime bodies. Though well-intentioned, the current guidelines are largely ineffective because they vary so widely and are therefore difficult to implement and enforce. The introduction of overarching regulation set out in the MLC and by the World Health Organisation (WHO) governing seafarers’ rights is expected to address this. MLC 2006 Standard A3.2 – Food and Catering, paragraph 7 states that “the competent authority shall require that frequent documented inspections be carried out on board ships, by or under the authority of the master, with respect to….supplies of drinking water”.

This is further strengthened by the WHO Guide to Ship Sanitation (2011) & Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality (2008) which lists the following “recommended parameters to be monitored:…E. coli or coliforms; Chlorine residual (daily); Microbial quality - bacterial plate count; pH (daily); Turbidity; Corrosion-related contaminants - iron & copper.”

Factors that can promote the growth of bacteria and toxins in a ship’s water supply include limited flow rate, tank or pipe corrosion, alkalinity or acidity and temperature. Often, these problems occur together, accelerating the growth of bacteria. Unfortunately, the growth of bacteria also worsens these issues, for example, some bacteria produce carbon dioxide, which reacts with the water to increase acidity, resulting in more corrosion.

Bacteria and pathogens that can grow in poorly maintained drinking water include E.coli, Norovirus, Salmonella and Legionella bacteria, which can lead to Legionnaires’ disease, a pneumonia-like illness which can be fatal. The importance of avoiding these bacteria is particularly heightened on a vessel which could be days from the nearest port and for which delays or route changes for medical assistance could cost thousands of dollars.

Drinksafe is used to take one sample directly from the water tank and another at the furthest point from the tank. This allows the main water source to be directly tested for bacteria and toxins, as well as the distribution system through which the water flows for everyday use for drinking, personal hygiene, and food preparation.

Water quality recordings are easy to make using the supplied test log book which can be used for Port State Control or flag state inspections.

Martek’s support services include a 24/7 helpline offering expert guidance and advice on water testing as well as an easy to use online ordering facility with a questionnaire to help determine the buyer’s exact requirements and same day account setup and dispatch from Martek’s global distribution network.

Martek Marine expands into Russian offshore market

Maritime safety and environmental systems manufacturer Martek Marine has achieved a breakthrough first sale in Russia to national oil & gas explorer Gazflot. In another first, Martek’s calibration gases will be utilised on a pair of jack-up rigs in Yushno Sakhalin rather than on merchant vessels. Gazflot has a fleet of nine vessels including jack-up rigs, icebreakers and research ships. The Russian energy major has also placed orders for six of Martek’s Navgard BNWAS and a record breaking six figure system expansion contract.

The sale follows the crucial Type Approval of Martek’s Navgard by the Russian Register and the appointment of Ian Bennett, an experienced Russian speaking oil and gas industry executive as Martek’s regional sales manager.

Ian Bennett said:

“We’ve already seen a huge take-up in our systems aboard merchant vessels needing to meet the requirements of SOLAS Chapter V Regulation 19, but we’re also now seeing increasing interest from the offshore market. Approved by all the major classification societies, Martek’s Navgard is the easiest, quickest and lowest cost system to install.”

Navgard, which comes with a two-year warranty, uses real-time data logging, providing essential evidence in the event of an incident. Unlike some competitors that use simple key switches, Navgard requires a master password to disable, also noting when the system is switched on and off so that checks can be made to ensure it is being used continuously. When MV Karin Schepers grounded in 2009, the accident report noted that a BNWAS was present but had been switched off by crew. IMO regulations require all ships to fit a BNWAS before July 2015.

Martek introduces market’s first compact BNWAS for smaller vessels

Martek Marine, UK-headquartered manufacturer of maritime safety systems, has announced the launch of a Lloyd’s Register MED-approved BNWAS designed specifically for smaller bridges to meet the next stage of BNWAS implementation starting in July of this year. BNWAS regulations state that existing cargo vessels between 500-3000GT must be compliant by July 2013 and vessels between 150-500GT by July 2014.

The Navgard Mini offers the same functionality as Martek’s Navgard system in a more compact all-in-one-box unit. Navgard Mini is the only system available which has all IMO-compliant alarms and reset switches in a single enclosure, making it very simple to retrofit on the smaller bridges of tugs, OSVs and lower-capacity passenger vessels – the system simply requires a power supply to deliver full compliance with SOLAS regulation.

Existing systems require a button to be pushed to confirm the crew’s presence on the bridge. IMO legislation dictates that BNWAS systems’ first stage alarm must sound between every three to 12 minutes. If the reset button is not pressed, the second stage will activate after 15 seconds. If the button is still not pushed, the third alarm will sound between every 90 to 180 seconds.

Although effective in theory, there have been several incidents, including the grounding of MV Karin Schepers in 2009, on vessels which have had BNWAS installed but switched off, as crew have simply found it too demanding to continue with other necessary work while being disturbed by such frequent alarms and the requirement to push a button so regularly.

Martek has addressed this issue in several ways. Firstly, with the inclusion of the market’s first passive infrared (PIR) motion sensor. This is built in to the device’s panel and detects movement on the bridge. No alarm sounds as long as movement is detected on the bridge, and crew can work undisturbed. Only when the system detects no movement for a set time, between the IMO’s mandated three and 12 minutes, will the alarms sound. Because the PIR sensor is part of the panel, no extra installation is required and no additional wiring is needed, reducing the cost, installation time and space needed.

The second important feature is the password deactivation, also built in to the panel. Where BNWAS models have traditionally been turned off by a simple key, the Navgard Mini can only be deactivated by password. This increases accountability by giving the vessel’s Master the sole responsibility for the device’s operation. The system, which comes with a two-year warranty, also uses real-time data logging, providing essential evidence in the event of an incident and recording when the system is switched on and off so that checks can be made to ensure it is being used continuously.

Martek has compiled a BNWAS buyer’s guide with key questions and points for consideration with a comparison table, which can be downloaded.

A Day at the Races

This month’s Fun Committee landed on the Sales Team’s shoulders to organise, so we ditched our usual weekends away from the gang and headed for a day out at Doncaster Races on the 1^st June.

The day was filled with us pretending to fit in with the crowd, awkwardly trying to figure out what the 7/1 odds meant, drinking prosecco and wolfing down the odd seafood platter.

The Martek team are amature gamblers at best, and most lived up to this on the day. However, Jami and Dave were feeling particularly lucky, and managed to finish with £200 and £430 profit! 

Nautical Friday in aid of Seafarers UK

The Martek team had a great day of dress up on Friday when we took part in raising money for Seafarers UK.

Our crew dug out their best pirate and sailor costumes, paying £2 for the privilege, and competed in the Nautical Friday Quiz.

We’re pleased to report we raised a total of £129 for a great UK charity, supporting seafarers and their families through times of difficulty and hardship.

Seafarers UK (King George’s Fund for Sailors) has been helping seafarers since 1917, growing to be the leading charity in the maritime field. The money raised will help maintain a reasonable quality of life to the crew and their families of the Merchant Navy, Fishing Fleets, the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines. All money raised for the charity will help to provide accommodation, clothing and education for those in need. They aim to provide training to people of any age to prepare them for work or service at sea, promote safety at sea and efficiency and effectiveness of the maritime charitable sector.

After sending our best pirate jazz hands photo to @seafarers_UK, we were ecstatic to announce we won the #NauticalFriday best photo competition! We look forward to receiving our treasure! 

When will you be adopting ECDIS?

July 2014 will come around faster than you think, and here at Martek, we’d love to know when you plan on complying with the IMO mandated regulations for ECDIS installation by completing the online poll on our homepage.

It has been a requirement to fit Electronic Chart Displayand Information Systems on new build ships since July 2012, with IMO legislation coming into effect for existing passenger ships

in July 2014. This will be followed by existing tankers in 2015, and existing cargo ships from 2016 – 2018.

There are great financial and safety incentives to invest in ECDIS well before the IMO mandate.

According to DNV research, deploying ECDIS reduces the grounding frequency by 30%, the fourth highest contribution to marine fatalities. Early adoption also allows your crew a longer transition period to paperless navigation so they acquire competency and confidence before the deadline, easing pressure when ECDIS becomes mandatory.

ECDIS will also save your company money as it eliminates the need for paper charts, administration and logistics. Time is also saved as manual updates to the chart are replaced with automated updates.

ECDIS can also save fuel costs as the system will optimise and automate your route plan, taking into account weather and tidal information, ultimately cutting out transit times by plotting the shortest, safest route.

However, some companies have other reasons for holding back on purchasing ECDIS, as they are unsure about what’s required of them and the training involved. Visit our ECDIS information website to read about the implementation schedule, the training required under the IMO and FAQ’s.