Martek Marine, manufacturer of the maritime industry’s best selling drinking water testing kit, Drinksafe™, is advising owners to ensure that they are aware of the requirements of port state control and flag state water testing requirements in response to the Maritime Labour Convention 2006.
The introduction of MLC 2006 heralded a significant step forward for the quality of drinking water for ship’s crew defining that “frequent documented inspections” be performed which is why Martek developed Drinksafe™ to have more tests than any other kit on the market.
Martek’s Sales Director, Steve Coulson, explains that “Drinksafe™ contains 1, 800 tests, more than any other on the market providing a comparative cost per test that is ~ 50% lower than the closest comparative test kit.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued guidelines stating “The frequency of monitoring should reflect the probable rate of change in water quality. For example, monitoring of drinking-water on ships may be more frequent when the ship is new or recently commissioned, with frequencies decreasing in the light of review of results. Similarly, if the ship’s water system has been out of control, monitoring following restoration of the system would be more frequent until it is verified that the system is clearly under control.”
The WHO guidelines state that disinfectant residuals and pH are monitored daily. As standard Drinksafe™ comes with 500 pH tests to ensure more than enough are available for regular testing with simple to use instructions: “dissolve test tablet in ampoule of water, put in comparator then read level from the colour disc.”
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. Factors which 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.
The only standard kit guaranteed to meet all legislation and flag state requirements, 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 are included to explain the testing process.
Founded in 2000, Martek Marine provides equipment and services designed to enable the shipping and offshore sector to meet the latest environmental and safety regulatory standards. The company provides world beating systems for BNWAS, engine emissions monitoring, gas detection, water level detection, cargo tank monitoring and drinking water testing. Martek also manufactures a specialist marine defibrillator. Martek provides an extensive system servicing and system spares service for customers.
Martek Marine is headquartered in the UK (Rotherham) and has a regional office in Singapore as well as a worldwide network of sales and service partners.
