MCA Has New Distribution Agent Min 129(M+F) Change of MCA Distribution Agent Notice to all recipients of M Notices With effect from June 2002, requests for MCA M Notices, publicity material and unpriced forms should be made to Mail Marketing (Scotland), Bloomsgrove Industrial Estate, Norton Street, Nottingham, NG7 3JG.

Telephone requests can be made to 0115 901 3336 from 0900 to 1700 Monday to Friday. Requests can also be made by fax to 0115 901 3334, and by email to mca@promo-solution. com.

Radio Personnel Must Reach Specific Standards MGN 214(M) Training and Certification Guidance: Part 4 Certificates of Competency - Radio Personnel Notice to Owners and Masters of Merchant Vessels and those concerned with Maritime Training.

All radio personnel serving on UK registered ships must reach required vocational and academic standards in accordance with the Radio Regulations, and hold a suitable endorsed radio certificate of competency: either a Restricted Operator's Certificate (ROC); or a General Operator's Certificate (GOC).

In addition, all radio personnel and Electro Technical Officers (ETOs) must undertake some STCW ancillary training such as 'Personal Survival Techniques' or 'Elementary First Aid' as listed in this note.

From February 2002, every officer in charge of a navigational watch should be in possession of an appropriate radio operator's certificate - at least a ROC. For operation outside Sea Area A1, every vessel is required to carry at least one GOC holder.

Chemical Spill Risks Assessed MIN 130(M+F) Research Project 477: Chemical Spill Risk Assessment The project is part of the review of the UK National Contingency Plan for Marine Pollution from Shipping and Offshore Installations (NCP). The MCA has a responsibility to respond to spills of oil and chemicals from ships.

Risk assessments have already been carried out for oil spills from tankers and spills of bunker fuel oils, refined products and vegetable oils. This project was carried out to complete the overall picture of the predicted risk of spills of chemicals carried in bulk by ships in UK waters.

The 'accident' model calculated that the risk of chemical tanker accidents in UK waters is low, only 3.8 per annum. It predicted the most probable cause of chemical tanker accidents to be equipment failure (69%), followed by ship collision (13%).

The 'spill' model calculated that the risk of a chemical outflow as a result of an accident is only 0.42 per annum. It predicted the most probable cause of chemical tanker spill to be foundering (38%), followed by ship collision (31%), powered grounding (14%) and equipment failure (10%).

The report concluded that the majority of spills from accidents are likely to be small (42% less than one tonne). The risk of a major spill over 10,000 tonnes is very low, calculated to be less than 1% of total accidents.

Current MARPOL Surveyors Listed MIN 116(M) The Merchant Shipping (Dangerous or Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk) Regulations 1996: List of Current MARPOL Surveyors Notice to Shippers, Masters, Agents, Shipowners and MARPOL Surveyors.

Marine surveyors of the MCA do not normally act as MARPOL surveyors. They hold greater powers and are responsible for all control measures other than those of MARPOL surveyors. They also maintain responsibility for ship inspections and investigations regarding contravention of the above regulations.

Annex A to this note provides the current list of approved MARPOL surveyors authorised by the MCA to act in this capacity.

A brief description of the duties of a MARPOL surveyor is set out in this note.

A MARPOL surveyor will only attend if required by a ship owner or his agent, and may charge for his services. Duties include: attending the completion of the unloading of all Category A substances and verifying that the prewash has been concluded; endorsing a ship's Cargo Record Book; and providing prompt and accurate returns every six months.

Servicing of Life Saving Equipment MGN 182(M+F) Servicing of Inflatable Liferafts, Inflatable Boats, Rescue Boats, Fast Rescue Boats (RIBS), Inflatable Lifejackets and Hydrostatic Release Units Notice to Owners, Operators and Masters of Merchant Ships, Owners and Skippers of Fishing Vessels, Code Vessels, Yachtsmen, Manufacturers and Service Station Personnel.

In recent years a number of cases involving extremely poor servicing of liferafts have been reported. In many of these cases the servicing was so bad that the raft would have been useless as a piece of life-saving equipment.

All above mentioned lifesaving appliances carried on UK ships, code vessels and fishing vessels are normally required to be serviced annually, although if compliance is impracticable servicing may be deferred for a period not exceeding five months.

The names and addresses of the manufacturers of the above mentioned life-saving appliances and their currently appointed service stations located in the UK are listed in the appendices to this note. Manufacturers of approved liferafts are required to have a service network of at least six in the UK. Authorised service stations are required to provide the MCA with a report of the work undertaken.

The frequency of NAP (necessary additional pressure) tests, working pressure tests, gas inflation tests and floor seam strength tests are summarised in appendix 3.

A general exception to the annual servicing of liferafts is detailed in appendix 4. It applies to extended servicing intervals for open reversible liferafts (ORL's) fitted to certain passenger vessels.

These servicing intervals and test methods are summarised in appendix 5.

NOTE: MCA Notices are not available from the Maritime Journal. Requests for M Notices should be made to Tel: 0115 901 3336. The MCA's 24hr UK public information line is 0870 600 6505.

Further information is available from the MCA's Marine Information Centre, Tel: 023 8032 9297 or www. mcga. gov. uk