Journal is indexed in following databases:



2023 Journal Impact Factor - 0.7
2023 CiteScore - 1.4



HomePage
 




 


 

ISSN 2083-6473
ISSN 2083-6481 (electronic version)
 

 

 

Editor-in-Chief

Associate Editor
Prof. Tomasz Neumann
 

Published by
TransNav, Faculty of Navigation
Gdynia Maritime University
3, John Paul II Avenue
81-345 Gdynia, POLAND
www http://www.transnav.eu
e-mail transnav@umg.edu.pl
The Polar Code's Implications for Safe Ship Operations in the Arctic Region
ABSTRACT: Simultaneously with a decreasing sea ice cover in the Arctic region an increase in ship traffic is experienced in these waters, meaning a higher probability of accidents and incidents to occur. The capability to handle emergency situations for shipowners, operators and rescuers in a cold climate environment are heavily affected by the risks present in polar waters and depends on limited emergency response resources covering extremely large areas. In 2017, the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (The Polar Code) was adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), applicable for the Arctic and Antarctic regions. The goals of the functionally based regulation are to provide for safe ship operations and the protection of the polar environment, by addressing risks present in polar waters and to ensure these are mitigated sufficiently. A qualitative pilot study, with individual expert interviews, has been conducted in order to examine the Polar Code's implications for safe ship operations in the Arctic region. The study concludes that the discussions raised in the aftermath of the Polar Code has led to an increase in focus and a strengthen consciousness about hazards and risks associated with polar water ship operations and additional measures required to mitigate these. Further, the implementation of the Polar Code is considered as a milestone by establishing an international regulation, mandatory for polar water ship design and for voyage planning. However, the study points out that the main principle of the Polar Code is risk-based, meaning the performance of safe ship operations are depending on those subjects to the regulation, to conduct thorough operational risk assessments covering all actual hazards, and to ensure that those are mitigated sufficiently. In this regard, authority presence is found crucial, to validate the adequacy and the dimensioning of the implemented measures. Key words: Arctic ship operations; regulatory governance; emergency response; risk management.
REFERENCES
Andreassen, N., Borch, O. J., Kuznetsova, S., & Markov, S. (2018). Emergency Management in Maritime Mass Rescue Operations: The Case of the High Arctic. Sustainable Shipping in a Changing Arctic, WMU Studies in Maritime Affairs 7. doi: - doi:10.1007/978-3-319-78425-0_20
Antonsen, Y., Skjetne, J. H., Haugstveit, I. M., Walderhaug, S., Anfinsen, S., Ellingsen, M.-B., & Håheim-Saers, N. (2016). SARINOR WP 6 Delt situasjonsforståelse under søk og redning i nordområdene. doi: - doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.20276.09604
Bai, J. (2015). The IMO Polar Code: The emerging rules of Arctic shipping governance. The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law, 30(4), 674-699. - doi:10.1163/15718085-12341376
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. doi:10.1191/1478088706qp063oa - doi:10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Braut, G. S., Rake, E. L., Aanestad, R., & Njå, O. (2012). Risk images as basis for two categories of decisions. Risk Management: An International Journal, 14, 60-76. - doi:10.1057/rm.2011.18
Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP). (2019). Antarctic Search and Rescue (SAR) Workshop IV - Improving SAR Coordination and Response in the Antarctic. Retrieved from: https:www.comnap.aq/Publications/Comnap%20Publications
International Maritime Organization. (2016). Guidance on methodologies for assessing operational capabilities and limitations in ice; Polar Operational Limit Assessment Risk Indexing System (POLARIS). MSC.1/Circ. 1519. London: International Maritime Organization.
International Maritime Organization. (2019). Guidance for navigation and communication equipment intended for use on ships operating in polar waters. MSC.1/Circ.1612. London: International Maritime Organization.
International Maritime Organization. (2017). International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (The Polar Code). MEPC 68/21/Add.1 Annex 10. London: International Maritime Organization.
International Maritime Organization. (2019). The interim guidelines for life-saving appliances and arrangements for ships operating in polar waters. MSC.1/Circ.1614. London: International Maritime Organization.
International Maritime Organization. (2001). SOLAS: International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, and 1988 Protocol relating thereto: 2000 amendments, effective January and July 2002. London: International Maritime Organization.
Jacobsen, D. I. (2015). Hvordan gjennomføre undersøkelser? : Innføring i samfunnsvitenskapelig metode (3. utg. ed.). Oslo: Cappelen Damm akademisk.
Jensen, Ø. (2016). The International de for Ships Operating in Polar Waters: Finalization, adoption and Law of the Sea implications. Arctic Review on Law and Politics, 7(1), 1-23. - doi:10.17585/arctic.v7.236
Kubat, I., Collins, A., Gorman, B., & Timco, G. (2005). A Methodology to Evaluate Canada's Arctic Shipping Regulations. Paper presented at the International Conference on Port and Ocean Engineering under Arctic Conditions (POAC).
Kujala, P., Goerlandt, F., Way, B., Smith, D., Yang, M., Khan, F., & Veitch, B. (2019). Review of risk-based design for ice-class ships. Marine Structures, 63, 181-195. doi:10.1016/j.marstruc.2018.09.008 - doi:10.1016/j.marstruc.2018.09.008
Kujala, P., Kämäräinen, J., & Suominen, M. (2019). Validation of the New Risk Based Design Approaches (POLARIS) for Arctic and Antarctic Operations. Paper presented at the International Conference on Port and Ocean Engineering under Arctic Conditions (POAC).
Kuran, C. H. A., & Njå, O. (2016). Rule bending in the road based commercial goods transport sector - A systems theory approach. Paper presented at the The 3rd International Conference on Transport and Traffic Engineering, ICTTE, Belgrade, Serbia.
Labuschagne, A. (2003). Qualitative research--airy fairy or fundamental?(Report). The Qualitative Report, 8(1), 100.
Latola, K., & Savela, H. (2017). The Interconnected Arctic — UArctic Congress 2016 (1st ed. 2017. ed.). - doi:10.1007/978-3-319-57532-2
Leveson, N. (2011). Engineering a safer world: Systems thinking applied to safety. Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press. - doi:10.7551/mitpress/8179.001.0001
Njå, O., Braut, G. S., & Vika, O. E. (2012). Bending the rules in the commercial goods road transport sector. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 48, 2336-2350. - doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.06.1205
Njå, O., & Solberg, Ø. (2010). Safety considerations in political decisions: A case study of changes to the Norwegian aviation system. Review of Policy Research, 27(5), 595-619. - doi:10.1111/j.1541-1338.2010.00461.x
Njå, O., & Vastveit, K. R. (2016). Norske kommuners planlegging, gjennomføring og bruk av risiko- og sårbarhetsanalyse i forbindelse med samfunnssikkerhetsarbeidet [Societal risk governance in municipalities is based on a weak regulatory regime and unclear professional competence]. Stavanger: University of Stavanger.
Njå, O., Vastveit, K. R., Abrahamsen, E. B., & Eriksson, K. (2013). Evaluering av risikovurderinger i Statens vegvesen. Beslutningsstøtte og læringsverktøy. [Evaluation of risk assessments in the Norwegian Public Roads Authority: Decision support and learning tool]. Stavanger: International Research Institute of Stavanger.
Norwegian Maritime Authority. (2018). Amendments to the Regulations on qualifications and certificates for seafarers. NMA, RSR 05-2018.
Norwegian Maritime Authority. (2017). Information on certificates required to operate passenger ships at Svalbard. NMA, RSV 01-2017.
Norwegian Maritime Authority. (2019). Regulations on the construction, equipment and operation of passenger ships in the territorial waters surrounding Svalbard. NMA, RSR 03-2019.
Renn, O., Lindøe, P., & Baram, M. S. (2014). Risk governance of offshore oil and gas operations. New York: Cambridge University Press. - doi:10.1017/CBO9781139198301
Ryan, F., Coughlan, M., & Cronin, P. (2009). Interviewing in qualitative research: The one-to-one interview. International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, 16(6), 309-314. doi:10.12968/ijtr.2009.16.6.42433 - doi:10.12968/ijtr.2009.16.6.42433
Sandelowski, M. (2002). Reembodying qualitative inquiry. In (Vol. 12, pp. 104-115). - doi:10.1177/1049732302012001008
Solberg, K. E. (2017). Implications caused by SARex on the implementation of the IMO polar code on survival at sea. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 276(1), 012017. - doi:10.1088/1757-899X/276/1/012017
Solberg, K. E. (2020). Safety and emergency response associated with cold climate marine operations. Appendix 5, paper no. 10. (UiS PhD thesis no. 493). University of Stavanger, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Mechanical and Structural Engineering and Materials Science, Stavanger.
Solberg, K. E., Gudmestad, O. T., & Kvamme, B. O. (2016). SARex Spitzbergen : April 2016 : exercise report : search and rescue exercise conducted off North Spitzbergen (Vol. no. 58). Stavanger: University of Stavanger.
Solberg, K. E., Gudmestad, O. T., & Universitetet i Stavanger. (2018). SARex3: evacuation to shore, survival and rescue (Vol. no. 75). Stavanger: University of Stavanger. - doi:10.31265/usps.21
Solberg, K. E., Skjærseth, E., & Gudmestad, O. T. (2017). SARex2 : Surviving a maritime incident in cold climate conditions (Vol. no. 69). Stavanger: Universitetet i Stavanger. - doi:10.31265/usps.23
Svalbar Treaty. (1920). Treaty between Norway, The United States of America, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Great Britain and Ireland and the British overseas Dominions and Sweden concerning Spitsbergen, signed in Paris 9th February 1920.
Sydnes, A. K., Sydnes, M., & Antonsen, Y. (2017). International Cooperation on Search and Rescue in the Arctic. Arctic Review on Law and Politics, 8(0), 109-136. doi:10.23865/arctic.v8.705. - doi:10.23865/arctic.v8.705
The Barents Observer. (2018). Arctic cruise ship boom. Retrieved from https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/ travel/2018/05/arctic-cruise-ship-boom
Citation note:
Engtrø E., Gudmestad O.T., Njå O.: The Polar Code's Implications for Safe Ship Operations in the Arctic Region. TransNav, the International Journal on Marine Navigation and Safety of Sea Transportation, Vol. 14, No. 3, doi:10.12716/1001.14.03.18, pp. 655-661, 2020
Authors in other databases:
Espen Engtrø:
Ove Njå:

Other publications of authors:


File downloaded 388 times








Important: TransNav.eu cookie usage
The TransNav.eu website uses certain cookies. A cookie is a text-only string of information that the TransNav.EU website transfers to the cookie file of the browser on your computer. Cookies allow the TransNav.eu website to perform properly and remember your browsing history. Cookies also help a website to arrange content to match your preferred interests more quickly. Cookies alone cannot be used to identify you.
Akceptuję pliki cookies z tej strony