'Although the Polar Code brings a well-needed baseline of international requirements for shipping in all polar regions, the new code, being goal-based, brings its own challenges for owners, operators and builders and needs to be applied consistently to give that safe "level playing field" that is demanded by the international maritime community,' Hindley, global principal specialist - Arctic technology, said Thursday.
The Polar Code is applicable to new ships from January 2017 and existing ships (though they are exempt from structural requirements) from their first intermediate/renewal survey after Jan. 1, 2018.
The Code is different to most existing regulation because it is, in part, goal-based rather than prescriptive. This means that it describes an expected result but not how to achieve it. Lloyd's Register said it offers guidance for clients to navigate their way to compliance.
Hindley said ship operators need to have a well-defined operating profile for their vessel since the scope and applicability of the regulation is determined by this. Once this profile has been established, operators can approach the Polar Code in an informed way, and the more informed their decision-making, the better their chances of making the right choices for their business and the lower the risk of non-compliance.
Lloyd's Register said it can assist with all aspects of Polar Code compliance, and clients are able to access a wealth of Arctic expertise to advise at each step along the way.
The classification society also developed an interactive toolkit that allows clients to work through the Polar Code on their own terms. In addition, guidance, templates and examples can be downloaded at www.lr.org/polarcode.
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